The Red Sox returned to Fenway Park riding their first three-game winning streak of the season, and despite battling back after falling behind early against the Rays, it wasn’t enough as Boston dropped a frustrating 8-4 decision to Tampa Bay, snapping its winning streak.
Making his second major league start, Jake Bennett worked around a Trevor Story fielding error in the first inning and finished the frame with an inning-ending double play.
The second inning proved far more difficult for the left-hander.
After recording a quick groundout, Bennett walked Jonny DeLuca, who promptly stole second base for his fifth steal of the season. Ben Williamson followed with a single to right field. Wilyer Abreu initially attempted a throw home before it was cut off by Willson Contreras.
Nick Fortes then ripped a double into the left-field corner, and with runners in scoring position, Cedric Mullins dropped down an RBI bunt to extend Tampa Bay’s lead to 2-0.
Bennett also issued two walks in the inning, including one to light-hitting infielder Taylor Walls.
Working with the bases loaded, Bennett managed to get Yandy Díaz to fly out deep to center field, though another run crossed the plate to make it 3-0. He finally escaped the inning when Ryan Vilade popped out to Marcelo Mayer at second base.
In the bottom of the second inning, Story led off by ripping a 96.3 mph sinker down the third-base line. Rays third baseman Junior Caminero made a diving stop and initially threw Story out at first base.
Boston challenged the call, the replay revealed that Jonathan Aranda’s foot had come off the bag. Replay review showed Story beat the throw, overturning the call and giving the Red Sox a leadoff baserunner.
The Red Sox began to apply pressure in the second inning after Story stole second base and Masataka Yoshida drew a walk.
Ceddanne Rafaela then smoked a ground ball to Caminero that kicked off the third baseman’s glove and rolled into left field, allowing Story to score and cut Tampa Bay’s lead to 3-1.
After Mayer grounded into a force out at second, Connor Wong hit what looked like it could have been an inning-ending double play. Instead, Wong rushed the play after the ball struck him in the chest, flipping it over the head of second baseman Williamson, allowing another run to score and trimming the deficit to 3-2.
Boston kept the line moving when Caleb Durbin lined the 22nd pitch of the inning into right field off Rays opener Griffin Jax, tying the game at 3-3. Jax pitched four innings, allowing three runs (two earned), four hits and one walk while striking out three.
It capped off a productive second inning for the Red Sox, who quickly erased an early deficit after falling behind 3-0.
That resilience is beginning to become a trend for Boston. Earlier in the season, a quick deficit often felt insurmountable for the struggling offense. Lately, however, the Red Sox have shown an ability to respond and claw their way back into games.
“With Jake getting out of that (second) inning, us coming right back and responding, that was big,” said Chad Tracy. “We had really two good opportunities to score, and we did that, we want more but we got the runs in the (second) and the eighth, so we got runs on the board when we were supposed to, we just couldn’t keep them off the board.”
Outside of the three-run second inning, Bennett did his job and kept the Red Sox within striking distance.
The 6-foot-6 left-hander tossed 5 1/3 innings, allowing three earned runs while walking two and striking out one.
Bennett’s lone strikeout came against the final batter he faced in the sixth inning, catching Aranda looking after Wong successfully used an ABS challenge.
The rookie threw 86 pitches, 52 for strikes, and generated five swings and misses. According to Baseball Savant, Bennett mixed 30 sinkers, 25 four-seam fastballs, 18 changeups, seven curveballs, and six cutters, with 39 of his pitches landing in the strike zone.
The Sox optioned Bennett back to Triple-A Worcester after the game. Jack Anderson is being recalled.
Boston turned to Greg Weissert in relief, but the right-hander struggled in a key spot.
Weissert allowed a single to DeLuca before walking Williamson. Tampa Bay then countered by sending the speedy Chandler Simpson to pinch-hit for Fortes, and Simpson immediately delivered with a single into center field that plated two runs and pushed the Rays back in front, 5-3.
Weissert finished the outing allowing two hits, one earned run, and one walk. His ERA climbed to 5.52 and .311 opponent batting average in 17 outings (14 2/3 innings).
One a positive bullpen note, rookie left-handed reliever Tyler Samaniego has not allowed a run in 13 2/3 innings.
In the seventh inning, the Rays recorded two quick outs before Wong hit a ground ball that deflected off Caminero’s glove and rolled into left field for a single. Boston, however, was unable to capitalize, as Durbin popped out on the infield to end the inning.
Tampa Bay added another insurance run in the eighth when Simpson tripled down the right-field line, scoring Williamson to extend the lead.
The Red Sox answered with a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning.
Jarren Duran led off with a double and advanced to third on a Contreras single to left. Contreras then made a costly mistake attempting to stretch the hit into a double and was thrown out at second base.
“The throw home was a high one so I thought I
