Field Level Media
Aug 24, 2018
Michael Perez matched his previous season total with four RBIs, and the Tampa Bay Rays used a five-run third inning to pull away from the Boston Red Sox early en route to a 10-3 romp in the opener of a three-game series Friday night in Tampa, Fla.
Willy Adames hit his eighth home run of the season, helping the Rays build an eight-run lead against Red Sox starter Hector Velazquez (7-2) on the way to their sixth straight win.
Former Red Sox left-hander Jalen Beeks (3-1), who relieved starter Diego Castillo in the second inning, was credited with the win.
Perez, acquired from Arizona last month, contributed a two-RBI double to a three-run second inning, then capped the five-run third with another two-RBI hit.
The rookie catcher had totaled just four RBIs in his first 64 plate appearances for the Rays, with a previous season high of two in a game set earlier this month against Toronto.
Kevin Kiermaier, Carlos Gomez and Brandon Lowe also had run-scoring hits in the third inning, during which the Rays went up 8-2.
Velazquez was pulled two outs into the inning, torched for eight runs on nine hits. He walked two and struck out four.
The right-hander had held the Rays to one run on three hits over four innings in his last start on Sunday.
Adames' homer, a two-run shot, came off Red Sox reliever Drew Pomeranz in the fourth inning and completed the Tampa scoring. It was the only hit allowed by Pomeranz in 4 1/3 innings of relief.
Xander Bogaerts had a two-run single off Beeks in the third inning, allowing the Red Sox to close the gap to 3-2.
Beeks, acquired when the Rays dealt Nathan Eovaldi to Boston in July, wound up going a season-best 5 1/3 innings, allowing three runs and seven hits. He walked three and struck out four.
Adames and Ji-Man Choi scored three runs apiece for the Rays, who have allowed a total of just 10 runs during their six-game winning streak.
Perez, Adames, Choi and Lowe contributed two hits each to the win.
Bogaerts and J.D. Martinez finished with three hits apiece, while Steve Pearce and Ian Kinsler had two each for the Red Sox, who won two of three from the Rays when the clubs met in Boston last week.
The Red Sox out-hit the Rays 13-12.
--Field Level Media