G25: Rays 4, Red Sox 3

Rays    - 201 100 000 - 4 10  1
Red Sox - 000 002 010 - 3  8  0

The Rays hit three home runs off Drew Pomeranz (5-6-4-2-4, 81). In the first, Wilson Ramos clubbed a two-out shot to left. Rob Refsnyder began the third with a dong and Daniel Robertson opened the fourth with another homer. In his two starts, Pomeranz has allowed 11 hits, four walks, and seven runs in only 8.2 innings.

Xander Bogaerts had three hits in his return to the lineup, upping his average to .405. Mookie Betts had a busy night, rapping two doubles, walking once, stealing a base, scoring two runs, and driving in one. J.D. Martinez singled and doubled and drove in two.

Blake Snell (7.1-5-2-1-9, 104) kept the Red Sox quiet, striking out the side in the second on his way to retiring the first nine batters. Betts walked and stole second in the fourth and Boston had runners on first and third with one out, but Mitch Moreland grounded into a double play. The fifth inning also ended with a double play, this one off the bat of Jackie Bradley.

The Red Sox cut Tampa Bay's lead in half in the sixth. Christian Vazquez doubled and scored on Betts's double. Betts then scored on Martinez's double. But Snell ended the rally by striking out Moreland. Bogaerts led off the seventh with a yet another double (five of Boston's eight hits were "Baltimore dongs"), but he was stranded at third as Snell got the next three hitters.

Chaz Roe came out of the bullpen with one out in the eighth. Betts greeted him with a double and scored on Martinez's two-out single to left. But (for the third time tonight) Moreland ended an inning, this time with a first-pitch grounder to first.

Boagerts reached on an infield hit in the bottom of the ninth. But Alex Colome was not rattled. He got Eduardo Nunez to foul out to the catcher before striking out Bradley (swinging) and pinch-hitter Andrew Benintendi (looking).

Blake Snell / Drew Pomeranz

Betts, RF
Ramirez, DH
Martinez, LF
Moreland, 1B
Bogaerts, SS
Nunez, 3B
Bradley, CF
Vazquez, C
Lin, 2B

After a 6-3 road trip, the Red Sox are home for six games: three against both the Rays and Royals. At 19-5, they have the best record in the majors. It is the best start by any team in 15 years. Boston also has the highest team batting average: .270.

Xander Bogaerts is back and in tonight's starting lineup. Manager Alex Cora spoke with X on Thursday:

[H]e was very upbeat. He didn't have to convince me. He was emphatic and genuine and he said it with conviction. He's upbeat and we're looking forward to having him back ... [H]is swing is still there.

Bogaerts was hitting .368/.400/.711/1.111 on April 8 when he suffered a small fracture in the talus bone of his left ankle.

Drew Pomeranz makes his second start of the season. Matt Collins of Over The Monster wrote that Pomeranz's first start "was fine. ... His swing and miss stuff was good and that’s a positive sign, but the efficiency and general command left something to be desired."

The Red Sox struck out nine times last night and so did not set a franchise record by fanning 10+ times in five straight games.

It's official. The street along the first base side of Fenway Park is once again known as Jersey Street. It was changed to Yawkey Way in 1977, following the death of Tom Yawkey, who owned the Red Sox from 1933 to 1976.

Last Wednesday: "Leonys Martin hit a baseball off his beans, and then he hit one over the fence"