Field Level Media
Jun 8, 2019
David Price matched his season high with 10 strikeouts over six innings as the Boston Red Sox beat the visiting Tampa Bay Rays 5-1 on Saturday to salvage a split of a day-night doubleheader.
Price (4-2) played stopper yet again after the Red Sox lost the first two of the four-game series, including a 9-2 defeat in Game 1 of the twin bill. He gave up one run on five hits and walked two, recording seven of his strikeouts against the Nos. 3-5 hitters in the Rays lineup.
Tampa Bay had a four-game winning streak come to an end. As part of a bullpen game, Colin Poche (0-1) took the loss in his major league debut.
Held to just three runs in losing the first two games of the series, the Red Sox broke the nightcap open in the sixth when Marco Hernandez hit a two-run double off the Green Monster in left field for the 5-1 margin. Hernandez, recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket earlier in the day with Mitch Moreland placed on the injured list, made his first MLB start since May 3, 2017, having missed all of 2018 recovering from shoulder surgery.
Boston's bullpen limited the Rays to just two baserunners over the final three innings.
The Red Sox first got on the board on a two-run double by Michael Chavis in the third, and Price cruised through his first four frames, allowing just one batter to reach.
Tampa Bay finally made him work in the fifth.
Willy Adames led off with a walk but was out at home two batters later on a collision play at the plate that was upheld by review. Guillermo Heredia hit an RBI double later in the frame to cut the lead to 2-1.
A Xander Bogaerts sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth made it 3-1 before the Rays loaded the bases against Price with two outs in the sixth. But the left-hander got Kevin Kiermaier to pop out to shortstop Bogaerts to end the threat.
Ryne Stanek served as the Rays' opener for the 18th time this season, striking out two and walking three in his 1 1/3 innings. Poche allowed two runs on two hits and whiffed three in also going 1 1/3 innings.
--Field Level Media