Sept. 29 – Junior Caminero had three hits, including a home run, and drove in three runs to lead the Tampa Bay Rays to a 7–2 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Saturday.
Caminero hit a two-run homer in the third inning, his sixth of the season, and picked up his second RBI on an infield single in the fifth. Tampa Bay’s Brandon Lowe also had three hits in the win.
The Rays (80-81) took control in the fifth inning, scoring four runs on five hits to extend their lead to 6-1.
Tampa Bay starting pitcher Sean Butz (4-3) limited the Red Sox to two runs on three hits in six innings. He recorded seven strikeouts and one walk. Two of Boston’s five hits came from Trevor Story.
Tristan Casas hit a solo home run for the Red Sox (80-81). It was his 13th home run of the season.
The Red Sox were 0–6 with runners in scoring position. With the loss, Boston’s losing streak extended to three games.
Boston starting pitcher Curt Crawford (9-16) allowed six runs on five hits in 4 1/3 innings. He gave up four walks and struck out six.
The Red Sox opened the scoring in the first inning with Casas’s home run, but Caminero’s home run in the third gave the Rays a 2–1 lead.
Caminero’s RBI single in addition to Jonathan Aranda’s RBI single capped Tampa Bay’s four-run fifth inning, which included a single and two singles by Josh Lowe.
Boston won the game 6–2 in the sixth inning. Jarren Duran was hit by a pitch, moved to third on Story’s single, and scored on Baz’s wild pitch.
Tampa Bay completed the scoring in the seventh inning when Brandon Lowe scored on Christopher Morrell’s infield single.
Drew Rasmussen pitched the eighth and ninth innings, and the Rays pitched two scoreless innings.
Each team will end its season with the final game of the three-game series on Sunday.
——Visual-level media
