Rays Win 12th Straight to Start Season, 1 Shy of MLB Record
on Tuesday night. The Tampa Bay Rays are on a 12 game winning streak to start the season, one game short of the major league record. Randy Arozarena hit a three-run homer in a 9-7 victory over the Boston Red Sox.
ST. PETERSBURG (AP) -- The Tampa Bay Rays won 12 consecutive games to begin the season. This is one shy of the major league record. Randy Arozarena scored a trio in a 9-7 win over the Boston Red Sox.
Both the 1987 Milwaukee Brewers (Braves) and 1982 Atlanta Braves (13-0) opened, tied for the highest opening percentage in major league history. The 12-game winning streak of Tampa Bay matches the June 2004 team record.
The Rays' Taj Bradley (1-0), won his major league debut. The Rays' 22-year old right-hander Taj Bradley (1-0) made his major league debut when he was recalled from Triple A Durham after Zach Eflin was injured. He allowed three runs and struck eight in five innings.
Arozarena made it three with an opposite-field homer against Chris Sale (1-1 in the first). Tampa Bay is the leader in major league home runs with 30 and has outscored its opponents 92-27.
Rafael Devers, who was hitless in 10 at bats and had six strikeouts, brought Boston to 7-7 with a three-run homer against Colin Poche in seventh.
Arozarena's sacrifice fly was 9-7 in the 8th.
Red Sox reliever Zack Kelly was left in the fifth inning with right elbow pain. Kelly was upset after throwing a pitch that struck Yandy Diaz. He squatted on the mound and covered his face with his hands.
Sale (1-1) allowed six runs (five earned) in four innings. His ERA remained at 11.25.
Pete Fairbanks was the fifth Rays relief pitcher and worked the ninth to earn his second save.
Wander Franco drove in a pair and a double during a third-run fourth, as the Rays held a 6-1 lead.
Alex Verdugo scored Justin Turner's hit and got Bradley the first outfield hit. Kike Hernandez ended a slide of 0-for-28 with an RBI double in the fifth, which cut the deficit down to 6-3.
Christian Bethancourt entered the game at 2 for 19. He scored his second hit with an RBI double in a five-run fifth that brought Tampa Bay to a 3-3 lead.
TRAINER'S ROHROOM
Red Sox: OF Masataka Yoshida (right hamstring) didn't play.
Rays: RHP Tyler Glasnow (left abdominal) is throwing off an enormous mound.
ADJUSTMENTS
Yoshida was out so Hernandez moved to center field. Bobby Dalbec made his second and fourth appearances at shortstop. Although Dalbec was able to field Diaz's grounder in the first innings, Franco charged him with an error on a groundball.