The game turned into a slugfest before either bullpen settled in, and Boston came out on top. The Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-3 at Fenway Park, riding a three-run first inning and never letting the lead slip away for good after Wilyer Abreu twice went deep.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TB | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 |
| BOS | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 5 | 8 | 2 |
Abreu was the story. He finished 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBIs, matching his season numbers of 13 home runs and 47 RBIs with two of the biggest swings of the night. His first homer, a two-run shot to right center, tied the game in the first inning. His second, in the third, put Boston back in front for good.
Tampa Bay struck first when Jonny DeLuca singled to left, driving in Junior Caminero and Ryan Vilade while Cedric Mullins reached third on a throwing error by left fielder Duran, making it 2-0. Boston answered immediately as Abreu homered to right center to score Ceddanne Rafaela and tie the game at 2-2, then Willson Contreras followed with a solo homer to left center that put the Red Sox ahead 2-3. Caminero tied it again in the third with a solo homer to left, but Abreu's second homer of the game, a 405-foot drive to right center, put Boston back in front 3-4 for good. Anthony Seigler added an RBI double in the fourth to score Tsung-Che Cheng, making it 3-5.
Rays starter Mason Englert took the loss, allowing 5 runs on 8 hits over 5.0 innings with 4 strikeouts and a walk, falling to 0-3 on the season with a 4.54 ERA. Boston starter Eduardo Rivera lasted only 2.1 innings, allowing 3 runs on 3 hits, but the Red Sox bullpen took over from there and did not allow a run across 6.2 innings. Greg Weissert picked up the win after retiring two batters without allowing a run, and Aroldis Chapman closed it out with a scoreless ninth, striking out two for his 20th save.
The win extended Boston's winning streak to 11 games, improving the Red Sox to 48-48. Tampa Bay, which had won the season series entering the night, fell to 56-40 with the loss, its third straight defeat.