Price tamed his former Tampa Bay Rays teammates, throwing eight innings of two-hit, shutout baseball. Hell, we can even absorb a bad Porcello start considering he’s earned at least one freebie at this point. “I knew that it was going to go out”. “Game-changing defensive plays in the eighth inning that play a huge impact”. To already be able to see the strike zone at the level that Benintendi has shown and pick and choose the pitches he wants from the ones he does not is incredibly so early in a young career. “Pitching and defense, that was the name of this one tonight”. Craig Kimbrel got the final three outs for his 23rd save.
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Archer (7-17) won his first career start against the Red Sox on September 19, 2012 but has dropped 10 straight decisions to them since.
Those that have already made up their minds about Price may not have realized just how good he has been since that terrible start. “He was in a rut for quite some time. The jolt that he’s giving us from the spot starts that he’s made, he’s kept us rolling”.
Much of that can be attributed to the improved starting rotation, which has posted a 2.69 ERA this month, ensuring that most nights, the Sox have a chance to win.
Boston is tied with Toronto, which beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-2.
Andrew Benintendi drove in a run with a fourth-inning sacrifice fly, then kept Price’s bid for a shutout alive by denying Steven Souza Jr. what would have been a two-run homer with an eighth-inning catch that almost sent him tumbling over a short wall in the left-field corner.
Archer didn’t pitch badly Tuesday, but continues to rack up pitches so quickly he can’t last deep into games.
The Rays got an RBI double from Kevin Kiermaier in the fifth. Boston starter Clay Buchholz gave up the lone run on five hits while whiffing nine over 6.1 frames.
“As a pitching staff, we hold ourselves to a very high standard. I’ve never really had the opportunity to do that”, Benintendi said.
Fister struck out six, walked one and retired 11 of the first 12 batters.
David Ortiz extended his hitting streak to 10 games with an RBI single in the third. He hasn’t allowed a run in 9 2/3 innings covering three appearances, including a six-inning gem a year ago in his only start against the Red Sox in which he allowed one baserunner in a victory. David Ortiz (.320, 60 Rs, 29 HRs, 97 RBIs, 2 SBs) has been doing well offensively for the Red Sox, going 2 for 4 yesterday. It looked for sure like the Rays were suddenly right back in the game. It was an excellent rebound start for Archer, who had allowed five runs over six innings to the Yankees in his previous outing.
Red Sox: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (left hamstring) will throw a three-inning simulated game Tuesday.
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Mookie Betts singled on a hopper over first baseman Brad Miller’s head.
