G14: Red Sox 1, Rays 0

Red Sox - 001 000 000 - 1  8  0
Rays    - 000 000 000 - 0  4  1

Wade Miley (5.2-3-0-4-3, 88) rebounded from a disastrous outing and stifled the Rays, while Ryan Hanigan scored an unearned run, thanks to an aggressive slide into second base by Mookie Betts.

With one out in the third, Ryan Hanigan reached first when his hit glanced off pitcher Chris Archer's glove. The ball bounced out towards second base, but Ryan Brett's throw pulled first baseman Logan Forsythe off the bag. After Betts walked, Dustin Pedroia grounded back to the mound. Archer (5.2-7-1-1-9, 106) whirled and threw to Brett at second. Betts went in hard, and Brett - making his first career start - made an off-balance throw to first that sailed past the bag. So, instead of an inning-ending double play, Hanigan trotted home with what turned out to be the night's only run. (Archer actually lowered his ERA from 1.37 to 1.07.)

Betts: "Just breaking up a double play. Talking to some of the guys, the little things we talk about, ways to affect the game in some way. That was my opportunity, nothing dirty, just going in to try and break up a double play."

Miley did not allow a Tampa Bay runner past first base in the first five innings. (He picked Brett off first in the bottom of the third.) In the sixth, however, he exited the game with the bases loaded. With one out, Rays leadoff hitter Brandon Guyer lined a single to left. Stephen Souza Jr. hit a ground ball to third. Pablo Sandoval threw to Pedroia at second and the runner was called out on a very close play. Rays manager Kevin Cash challenged the call, but the original call was upheld. Miley then walked Forsythe and Evan Longoria, loading the bases. Alexi Ogando came in to face Desmond Jennings, who grounded a 1-2 pitch into a 6-4 fielder's choice.

That was Tampa Bay's only reason chance at a rally. The Rays managed only one baserunner over the last three innings. After Ogando set down the first two batters in the seventh, Robbie Ross got the third out. Junichi Tazawa needed only six pitches to retire the side in order in the eighth.

Forsythe singled off Koji Uehara to begin the ninth, but Longoria bounced into a 5-4-3 double play and Jennings grounded to third. Sandoval's throw was low, but Daniel Nava, playing first, made an excellent catch of the short-hop throw to end the game.

Brock Holt made two tremendous plays at shortstop, ranging far to his left to snare Rene Rivera's grounder to end the second and diving to his right and then throwing out Asdrubal Cabrera to end the seventh. ... Hanley Ramirez and Hanigan both singled twice, while Betts singled and walked. ... Boston is now 7-0 when they score first.

Wade Miley / Chris Archer

Betts, CF
Pedroia, 2B
Ortiz, DH
Ramirez, LF
Sandoval, 3B
Nava, 1B
Victorino, RF
Holt, SS
Hanigan, C

With its rain-shortened victory over Baltimore on Monday, the Red Sox upped their record to 8-5, good for first place in the AL East. The Rays - now managed by old friend Kevin Cash - are 6-7.

In three starts this season, Archer has a 1.37 ERA. He has allowed no earned runs in seven innings in each of his last two starts - against the Orioles and Blue Jays. In those fourteen innings, he gave up only three hits. ... By contrast, Miley's two-start ERA in 10.57. Facing the Nationals in his last outing, he recorded only seven outs, surrendering seven runs.

Also: Orioles announcer Jim Palmer is an attention-seeking dick.

And: "Reds manager goes on tirade about media, uses 'F' word 77 times".