Rays Snap 11-Game Losing Streak, Beat Red Sox 13-7
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Rays ended their 11-game losing streak Monday, tagging Red Sox starter Eduardo Rodriguez for nine runs in the first three innings and cruising to a 13-7 win at Tropicana Field.
The Rays (32-43) hadn't scored more than six runs during the losing streak, but found their bats Monday, with six hits in the first eight batters and a 9-0 lead after three. Boston (41-35) has dropped six of its last seven, giving up at least six runs in six straight as well. The 13 Rays runs match their most and the most allowed by Boston this season, and the 18 hits is their season high and the most allowed by Red Sox pitching.
The Rays got a career-high five RBIs from designated hitter Nick Franklin, who got his first three hits of the season after being recalled Tuesday. Logan Forsythe went 3-for-5 with three RBIs, two on a home run that chased Rodriguez (1-3) from the game before he could finish the third inning.
Rays rookie Blake Snell (1-2) earned his first major league win in his fourth career start, though the Rays bullpen continues to have issues -- reliever Danny Farquhar, promoted before the game, gave up a two-run home run to Sandy Leon in the eighth inning, and Xavier Cedeno gave up another run in the ninth.
Forsythe and Evan Longoria started the first inning with singles and scored on a two-run single by Logan Morrison. Morrison scored on rookie Taylor Motter's RBI double, and Ryan Franklin drove in two more with a double for the sixth hit of the inning and a 5-0 lead.
That provided a considerable cushion for Snell, who was making his fourth career start and seeking his first career win. He had a 2.40 ERA but no wins in his first three starts. Since 2000, only three other American League pitchers had an ERA under 3.00 without a win after three starts.
The Rays extended that lead to 9-0 in the third. Desmond Jennings hit a solo home run, his seventh on the year, and Franklin added an RBI single before scoring on a two-run home run by Forsythe, his sixth. Rodriguez was done after allowing nine runs on 11 hits and not making it out of the third inning for his shortest outing of the season.
The Red Sox cut into Tampa Bay's lead in the fourth and fifth. Bryce Brentz got a two-run double in the fourth but was thrown out trying to make it a triple to end the inning. A bases-loaded walk to David Ortiz in the fifth made it 9-3, but Snell got out of the jam, striking out Hanley Ramirez to strand three and end the inning.
Forsythe added a run in the fifth with an RBI double to make it a 10-3 lead for the Rays.
NOTES: The Rays made a roster move to tweak their bullpen as RHP Ryan Webb was designated for assignment while RHP Danny Farquhar, who had been the 26th man in Saturday's doubleheader, was called up from Triple-A Durham. Webb gave up four earned runs on five hits in an inning on Sunday. Farquhar has a 4.26 ERA in three previous stints with the Rays, with all three runs he's allowed coming on solo homers. ... Tampa Bay could get a key bat or two back during their 11-game homestand. OF Brandon Guyer (hamstring) is scheduled to make a rehab appearance with Class A Charlotte and could soon be back in the majors. In addition, OF Steven Souza (hip) took batting practice on the field for the first time Monday and is expected to start a rehab appearance later this week if all goes well. ... The Red Sox made a roster move as well, selecting INF Mike Miller from Pawtucket and optioning RHP William Cuevas to the Triple-A club to make room. Miller, 26, did not start Monday's contest but could make his major-league debut. He was hitting .256 for Pawtucket with no home runs and 10 RBIs in 46 games.
