G102: Red Sox 5, Rays 4

Red Sox - 200 000 120 - 5 10  0
Rays    - 002 000 002 - 4  6  0

Let's always remember: A win is a win. ... The Red Sox closed out this game after their lead had been cut from 5-2 to 5-4 and the bases were full of Rays, but it goes in the books as a W.

After Brandon Workman pitched a clean eighth, he ran into scads of trouble after getting the second out with a man on first in the bottom of the ninth. He got ahead of Willy Adames 0-2 (and was the proverbial "one strike away" from a save) but he walked him. He gave up a single to Ji-Man Choi, which scored a run, and he walked Travis d'Arnaud, which re-loaded the bases.

Enter Marcus Walden, who threw four wide ones to Tommy Pham, forcing in another run. Walden did his job, however, getting a called strike on Austin Meadows and then a ground ball to Christian Vázquez at first. The play went 3-1 and the Red Sox had a victory.

Boston grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first. Rafael Devers singled with one out and went to third on J.D. Martinez's two-out hit to left-center. A wild pitch from Yonny Chirinos (5.2-6-2-0-5, 88) brought Devers in and Andrew Benintendi's single to center made it 2-0.

Chris Sale (6-4-2-3-10, 116) set down the first eight Rays, striking out the side in the second, but he walked Mike Zunino, Tampa Bay's #9 hitter, with two gone in the third. d'Arnaud hit a home run down the left field line to tie the game. Sale stranded runners at first and third in the fourth and at second in the fifth, throwing 24 pitches in each frame.

Vázquez hit for Mitch Moreland and homered (#16) to start the seventh. The Red Sox added two more runs in the eighth against Diego Castillo and Adam Kolarek. Facing Castillo, Devers singled, Bogaerts walked, and Martinez singled. Kolark entered with the bases loaded and no one out. Benintendi grounded to second and that scored one run. Michael Chavis struck out and Vázquez was walked intentionally. Kolarek then hit Bradley with his first pitch, forcing home Bogaerts, making the score 5-2.

In his second inning, Workman allowed a leadoff single to Matt Duffy. Joey Wendle forced him at second and Nate Lowe struck out. The Red Sox were one out away from a win and although it took longer than they would have liked, they got there.

Boston is now a season-high 10 games above .500 (56-46) and in a tie for second place in the American League East. It's the first time the Red Sox have been higher than third since March 29 (the second game of the season).

AL East: MFY 14, Twins 12 (10). ... MFY –, BOS 10.0, TBR 10.0.

Yankees - 200 030 052 2 - 14 20  1
Twins   - 012 510 021 0 - 12 15  0

Chris Sale / Yonny Chirinos

Betts, RF
Devers, 3B
Bogaerts, SS
Martinez, DH
Benintendi, LF
Holt, 2B
Moreland, 1B
Bradley, CF
León, C

Mitch Moreland has been activated, with Marco Hernández being optioned to Pawtucket.

Question: Is shaving your mustache or goatee between at-bats becoming a thing?

AL East: MFY/Twins, 8 PM. ... MFY –, TBR 9.0, BOS 10.0.