Porcello Strikes Out 9, Red Sox Beat Rays 7-3
BOSTON -- David Ortiz hit a pair of doubles and drove in three runs and Mookie Betts blasted a two-run home run as the Boston Red Sox snapped their three-game skid with a 7-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night at Fenway Park.
Xander Bogaerts and Chris Young also drove in runs for Boston (7-7), which had a season-high 12 hits after being shut out 3-0 by the Rays in extra innings Tuesday.
Rick Porcello (3-0) logged his third straight start of six or more innings, allowing three runs on six hits and a walk while striking out a season-best nine batters over seven innings.
Evan Longoria's team-record 15-game hitting streak at Fenway, which was tied for the longest among active visiting players, ended after an 0-for-4 night.
Longoria, Corey Dickerson and Hank Conger each had an RBI for Tampa Bay (6-8), which had won three straight and saw its franchise-best four-game winning streak at Fenway end.
Chris Archer (0-4) lost for the seventh time in his last 10 starts for the Rays, lasting just 4 1/3 innings while giving up six runs on eight hits and three walks and striking out six.
Tampa Bay couldn't carry any of the momentum from Tuesday's three-run 10th inning into the early stages of Wednesday's game, getting only two hits off Porcello through five innings.
Longoria's two-out groundout gave the Rays a run in the sixth and Dickerson homered in the next at-bat. Young got a run back for Boston with his RBI single in the bottom of the frame.
Conger singled to drive in Tampa's third run in the seventh, ending Porcello's night.
After mustering one hit the night before, the Red Sox offense heated up Wednesday.
Bogaerts' RBI single kicked off the scoring with nobody out in the first inning and Ortiz's two-run double the next at-bat made it 3-0. Betts' homer an inning later put Boston ahead 5-0.
Ortiz made it 6-0 with a double in the fifth that allowed Bogaerts to score from first.
Bogaerts jogged gingerly around third and left the game in the sixth with left quad tightness. Brock Holt moved from left field to shortstop and Chris Young entered the game in left.
NOTES: Opened on April 20, 1912, Fenway Park celebrated its 104th birthday Wednesday. ... Three years ago Wednesday, Red Sox DH David Ortiz delivered his iconic pregame speech after the Boston Marathon bombing, saying, "This is our (expletive) city." ... Boston placed RHP Joe Kelly (right shoulder impingement) on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday. Kelly left Tuesday's start 23 pitches into the first inning. After using six relievers Tuesday, the Red Sox recalled RHP Noe Ramirez and selected RHP William Cuevas from Triple-A Pawtucket. The team also returned INF Marco Hernandez to Pawtucket and designated LHP Edwin Escobar for assignment. ... Rays C Hank Conger made his first start Wednesday since Cleveland stole five bases against him April 14. ... Red Sox President/CEO Emeritus Larry Lucchino was named chairman of the Boston-based Jimmy Fund on Wednesday. ... Rays RHP Jake Odorizzi (0-1, 2.41 ERA) opposes Red Sox LHP David Price (2-0, 4.50 ERA) in Thursday's series finale.
