Rays Beat Red Sox 6-2
BOSTON -- Daniel Nava delivered a two-out, go-ahead single in the seventh inning against his former club to break a scoreless tie and spark the Tampa Bay Rays to a 6-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox in the third of a four-game midweek series Wednesday night at Fenway Park.
Nava, who spent five seasons with the Red Sox and was part of the World Series championship team in 2013, slapped a ball right under diving Boston second baseman Dustin Pedroia's glove into right field, allowing center fielder Kevin Kiermaier to score from third.
Kiermaier stole second and third in the inning — his 17th and 18th swipes of the year — to put himself in scoring position after reaching on a one-out single earlier in the frame.
Nava, a utility man playing left field Wednesday, was one of seven Tampa Bay batters to record a hit in a 14-hit onslaught. Kiermaier, right fielder Steven Souza Jr., and shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera each had three hits for the Rays.
Rays pinch-hitter Logan Forsythe drove in another run on a groundout and designated hitter John Jaso added an RBI-double to pad the lead in the eighth. Cabrera tacked on a solo home run an inning later that clanged off of Pesky's Pole in right.
Souza Jr. capped the scoring with a towering solo blast into the Green Monster seats in left.
Tampa Bay (74-78) benefited from a strong outing from left-hander Drew Smyly (4-2), who outdueled Red Sox right-hander Rick Porcello in an early pitcher's duel, keeping Boston scoreless on five hits, three walks, and seven strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.
Pedroia failed to capitalize on a scoring chance with a pair of runners in scoring position and two out in the seventh, grounding out to squash the rally for Boston (72-79).
Two at-bats earlier, Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. teased the Fenway faithful with a long fly to the warning track in left with two runners on.
Bradley Jr. later scored a run on a throwing error with two outs in the ninth.
Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts extended his hitting streak to a career-high 12 games with an RBI-single in the ninth, forcing Rays closer Brad Boxberger to come in and record his 37th save.
Porcello (8-14) pitched commendably in defeat, holding the Rays' bats to three runs -- two earned -- on 11 hits while walking one and striking out eight over 7-plus innings.
Boston right-handed reliever Jean Machi was ejected by home plate umpire Bill Welke after hitting Souza with his first pitch after giving up the home run to Cabrera in the eighth.
NOTES: Rays LF Daniel Nava, a member of Boston's 2013 World Series team, started against his old team. ... Boston 3B Pablo Sandoval (upper-respiratory infection) missed his third straight game and will need at least "another day or two," interim manager Torey Lovullo said. ... Lovullo reflected on the death of Yankees great Yogi Berra. "He is such a great part of the game, and he's going to be missed," he said. ... Boston LHP Wade Miley (11-10, 4.34 ERA) faces Tampa Bay RHP Erasmo Ramirez (10-6, 2.70 ERA) in Thursday's series finale.
