Aaron Hill picked the flawless time to end a hitless drought.Mired in an 0-for-20 slump, the veteran infielder singled home the tie-breaking run in the eighth inning as the Boston Red Sox rebounded after squandering a two-run lead to pull out an 8-6 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in the rubber game of a three-game series on Wednesday.Jackie Bradley, who hit his 22nd home run, provided insurance with an RBI double.Hanley Ramirez, who hit a grand slam to wipe out a 4-1 deficit in the fifth inning, walked against Erasmo Ramirez (7-10) and took second on a sacrifice by Sandy Leon. There is little doubt regarding Betts being a contributor for Boston, but it has not just been their offense that has made the Red Sox successful as of late.
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This time followed by a save from the Boston bats. A Kevin Kiermaier double and Brad Miller single gave the Rays a 1-0 lead in the first, but the Sox came back without doing that much.
In nine starts after the break, he is 6-0 with a 1.89 ERA, allowing a.627 OPS before Tuesday while averaging 16.08 pitches.
Mookie Betts hit his 30th homer, a solo shot, and drove in two runs for the Red Sox, who hold the AL’s first wild-card spot but had lost four of five.
Boston Red Sox’s Hanley Ramirez, right, is congratulated teammates his solo home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park, Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2016, in Boston.
In the bottom half, Ramirez led off with a walk, Sandy Leon bunted him to second and pinch-hitter Brock Holt singled him to third. “That’s why he’s such a special player”, Cash said.
TIGERS 3, WHITE SOX 2 (at Detroit) – JaCoby Jones doubled twice in his second major league game, then dashed home for the winning run on a sacrifice fly by Tyler Collins in the ninth inning to lift Detroit. The Red Sox as a team have also hit well at home games.
Pedroia has 15 hits in his last 20 at-bats and is batting.463 since moving into the leadoff spot on August 10. Erasmo Ramirez (7-10, 3.87 ERA) took the loss for the Rays. But he is 4-0 with a 2.82 ERA in his last seven, lowering his season ERA from 5.64 to 4.80, and going at least six innings in all seven starts. The blast was his 19th this season.
The Red Sox will promote Cuban infielder Yoan Moncada from Double-A Portland before Friday’s game at Oakland.
The Rays have won all of 56 games this season and needed to come from behind for 27 of them.
The Rays were feeling good after the Morrison homer but the momentum changed when Tim Beckham failure to hustle cost the Rays a run to end the inning. “We have six guys, all with the reason to be starters”, Cash said. Craig Kimbrel closed for his 24th save. We get out to an early lead, have some real good at-bats against a good pitcher that’s having a good year.
Ramirez’s home run had an exit velocity of 105 miles per hour.
Maile tied it with a two-run homer to left with two outs in the seventh. Boston RHP Brad Ziegler was unavailable for the second straight day because of the flu.
NOTES: RHP Alex Cobb, who hasn’t pitched since September 28, 2014, and is coming off Tommy John surgery, returns to the mound Friday night at home against Toronto.
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Red Sox: OF Andrew Benintendi has been fitted for a brace for his sprained left knee.
