Field Level Media
Aug 11, 2021
Bobby Dalbec drove in a career-high five runs, Nathan Eovaldi struck out 10 over seven innings of one-run ball and the Boston Red Sox routed the visiting Tampa Bay Rays 20-8 on Wednesday night.
Dalbec (2-for-3) knocked a three-run triple in the fifth inning after hitting a two-run single in the fourth. Eovaldi (10-7) allowed three hits and walked one to earn his first victory since July 1 versus Kansas City.
Xander Bogaerts (2-for-4) hit a three-run home run and drove in four, Hunter Renfroe (3-for-5) had four RBIs and J.D. Martinez (4-for-4) drove in a pair for the Red Sox, who totaled season highs in hits (19) and runs.
Boston had lost two straight and 11 of their last 14 games.
Brett Philips clubbed a ninth-inning grand slam and both Brandon Lowe and Mike Zunino hit solo home runs for the Rays, whose five-game winning streak was snapped.
Rays starter Josh Fleming (9-6) surrendered a career-worst 10 runs on 11 hits while walking six and striking out three in 3 1/3 innings.
Boston fell 8-4 on Tuesday in the series opener against AL East rival Tampa Bay, which entered this contest with six straight wins against the Red Sox. The second-place Red Sox moved within four games of the division-leading Rays.
Renfroe's RBI double opened the scoring in the home first. Bogaerts hit an RBI double and Martinez added an RBI single to put Boston up 3-0 after one inning. Renfroe's two-run double in the second made it 5-0.
The Red Sox broke the game open with five runs in the fourth. Rafael Devers hit an RBI double, Kevin Plawecki walked with the bases loaded and Marwin Gonzalez tacked on an RBI single before Dalbec's two-run hit.
Martinez singled home another run and Dalbec cleared the bases with his two-out triple to cap Boston's four-run fifth.
Lowe took Eovaldi deep for his team-leading 26th homer with one out in the Tampa Bay sixth to break up the shutout.
Bogaerts' 17th homer of the season highlighted a six-run eighth for Boston.
--Field Level Media