G12: Red Sox 7, Rays 5

Rays    - 300 110 000 - 5  7  0
Red Sox - 200 200 21x - 7 17  0

Pablo Sandoval's two-run homer brought the Red Sox into a 4-4 tie in the fourth inning and Mitch Moreland's two-run single three innings later gave Boston a 6-5 lead. The bullpen held on, with Craig Kimbrel retiring the Rays in order in the ninth.

Drew Pomeranz (4.1-5-5-2-10, 103) was squeezed by home plate umpire Ted Barrett and walked the first two batters of the game. Those two Rays scored on Brad Miller's triple; Miller then scored on a passed ball. The Red Sox got two runs back in the bottom half against Alex Cobb (5-11-4-1-0, 93). Mookie Betts drove in one run with a ground-rule double and scored the second run, on a single by Moreland.

Pomeranz recorded his first seven outs by strikeouts. Corey Dickerson homered in the fourth, but Xander Bogaerts doubled and Sandoval homered in the home half to tie the game. Tim Beckham led off the fifth with a solo shot, putting the Rays up 5-4.

Boston rallied to take the lead for good in the seventh. With one out, Andrew Benintendi reached on an infield single. Betts singled and Hanley Ramirez walked, loading the bases. After a pitching change, Moreland singled to left, scoring two runs. Ramirez suffered a left hamstring cramp while rounding second base and had to leave the game.

Matt Barnes took over in the eighth. Kevin Kiermaier singled and stole second. Barnes fanned Evan Longoria and Miller, but walked Logan Morrison. Lefty Robbie Scott came in and got Dickerson to foul out to third.

Christian Vazquez's double scored Chris Young with an insurance run in the eighth. Kimbrel needed only 10 pitches in the ninth (PF2, K, K).

The Red Sox had a season-high 17 hits. ... Benintendi (3-for-5) doubled twice and scored two runs. ... Betts (3-for-4) doubled, walked, and scored twice. ... Vazquez went 3-for-4 and Moreland had two hits, a walk, and three RBI.

Alex Cobb / Drew Pomeranz

Pedroia, 2B
Benintendi, CF
Betts, RF
Ramirez, DH
Moreland, 1B
Bogaerts, SS
Sandoval, 3B
Young, LF
Vazquez, C

Pomeranz will make his second start of the season. He allowed only one run and four hits in six innings against Baltimore last Tuesday.

Scott Lauber, ESPN: "[Chris Sale] joins Martinez in 1998 as the only Red Sox pitchers since 1913 to pitch at least seven innings, give up no more than two runs and strike out at least seven batters in his first three games of a season."

Pedro Martinez (1998): 23 innings, 12 hits, 1 run, 7 walks, 32 strikeouts (0.39 ERA, 0.826 WHIP)
Chris Sale (2017): 21.2 innings, 11 hits, 3 runs, 5 walks, 29 strikeouts (1.25 ERA, 0.738 WHIP)