When a team is in the midst of a three-game losing streak, timely hitting is nothing short of crucial.
This is exactly what the Tampa Bay Rays received in their 4-3 skid-breaking victory over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park Sunday afternoon as an RBI double by shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and a subsequent RBI single by first baseman James Loney provided the team with a slim one-run lead they would not relinquish in the eighth inning, helping to snap Boston's three-game winning streak in the process.
Cabrera was 2 for 4 with an RBI and two runs scored, Loney contributed a 2-for-4 performance with two RBIs, and right fielder Brandon Guyer was 1 for 3 with two walks. His hit was a home run to lead off the first inning for the Rays, who touched starter Wade Miley for two runs on five hits in 6.2 innings, but making all three outs via the strikeout.
On the other side of the docket, third baseman Travis Shaw followed up on his masterful showing on Saturday with a 2-for-4 outing while left fielder Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI. In addition, shortstop Xander Bogaerts scored twice. However, the Red Sox could not muster the means necessary to capture their fourth consecutive win.
Rays starter Jake Odorizzi pitched six innings, yielding three runs on seven hits while striking out five batters for a no-decision.
Guyer set the tone immediately for Tampa Ray directly out of the gate, slapping a home run over the Big Green Monster to lead off the ball game and give the Rays an instant 1-0 lead. This advantage did not last long, however, as Boston garnered two runs in the bottom half of the stanza off of Odorizzi.
After second baseman Brock Holt struck out to begin the half inning, Bogaerts knocked a single to right, stealing second on designated hitter David Ortiz's subsequent at-bat. Ramirez then smacked a two-out RBI double to deep right-center, plating Bogaerts to knot up the score at one. First baseman Mike Napoli followed that up with an RBI single to left, handing the Red Sox a 2-1 lead.
The Red Sox then extended their lead to in the third inning as Bogaerts once again initiated a rally with a one-out single. He then came around to score on an ensuing RBI double by Ortiz, which provided the Red Sox with a 3-1 lead. This gap shrunk to 3-2 in the top of the fourth when as, with two outs, Cabrera singled, a critical base hit that was followed by an RBI double by Loney.
The two squads remained knotted in a pitching duel until the top of the eighth inning when the Rays finally broke through against Boston reliever Junichi Tazawa (L, 2-4). Third baseman Evan Longoria kicked off the surge with a double off of the Green Monster. He soon came around to score on Cabrera's one-out RBI double to deep right. Loney then hammered home the definitive blow, a go-ahead RBI single to center to provide his team with a 4-3 advantage.
Reliever Jake McGee worked a scoreless eighth inning for his 15th hold of the season while closer Brad Boxberger struck out the side in the ninth for his 26th save of the year. Reliever Steven Geltz (W, 2-4) forced Bogaerts to fly out for the final out of the seventh inning to earn the victory.