G27: Rays 2, Red Sox 1

Rays    - 100 100 000 - 2  4  2
Red Sox - 000 000 010 - 1  5  0

The Red Sox left 11 men on base on Saturday, only four days after stranding a season-high of 13 against the Tigers. Boston was 0-for-8 with RATS and fell 6.5 games behind the Rays.

Tampa Bay scored a very quick run when Yandy Diaz hit David Price's (6-4-2-3-7, 93) second pitch of the day over the Wall in left-center. It was Diaz's seventh homer and his third in the last six games. Tommy Pham doubled to lead off the fourth and scored on Michael Zunino's one-out single to left.

Boston wasted a couple of decent scoring opportunities. Betts's infield single and a throwing error put him on second base with one out in the third. After Mitch Moreland flied to left, Betts went to third on a wild pitch, but Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging.

Bogaerts doubled with out in the sixth and watched as Rafael Devers struck out and Michael Chavis flied to left.

Betts homered to center off Diego Castillo to open the eighth. With one out, Bogaerts walked. Jose Alvarado came in and gave up a single to Devers, putting runners at first and third. Chavis struck out. Steve Pearce walked, loading the bases. Jackie Bradley went down swinging, hacking at a 3-2 pitch in the dirt that would have tied the game. (JBJ is batting .143. He might want to learn some plate discipline at some point.)

In the bottom of the ninth, Christian Vazquez singled off Emilio Pagan. Tzu-Wei Lin pinch-ran. Andrew Benintendi was called out on strikes. Betts popped up to the right side and Diaz, at first base, had trouble tracking the ball. It fell in short right field. But just before Diaz realized the ball was beyond his grasp, Lin stopped watching the play and went back to first base with his head down. Lin's stupidity (or inattention, to be polite) allowed Diaz to easily force him at second. With two outs and Betts at first, Pagan struck out Moreland.

Charlie Morton / David Price

Benintendi, LF
Betts, RF
Moreland, 1B
Martinez, DH Bogaerts, SS
Bogaerts, SS Devers, 3B
Devers, 3B Chavis, 2B
Chavis, 2B Pearce, DH
Bradley, CF
Vázquez, C

Update: J.D. Martinez was taken out of the starting lineup because of back spasms.

Michael Chavis talks about his first major league at-bat with BP's David Laurila:

What was I thinking [standing on second base]? "Don't cry. Act like you've been here before." That’s pretty much it, honestly. ... I'm sure my mom was crying. Without a doubt. She's a big crier. ... I went out with my family afterwards. ... There was a TV. It was the first time I'd seen myself on TV — they were showing highlights from the game. It was weird. There I was, watching myself on TV, and they're talking about me and the Boston Red Sox. I'm part of this team now. Unreal.