Mayer Homers Twice as Red Sox Win Rubber Match Against Rays, 4-3; Duran and Toro also Homer
By Zachary McMahon-
The Boston Red Sox played the Tampa Bay Rays in the series finale at Fenway Park in Boston, MA on Wednesday night. The Sox took Tuesday’s game while the Rays took Monday’s in extra innings.
The Rays put right hander Manuel Rodriguez from the 15-day injured list with right forearm strain, and recalled Cole Sulser.
Walker Buehler went seven innings for the second time this season, he allowed six hits, three earned runs, one walk, and seven strikeouts. He retired each of his last seven batters. He’s gone five innings or more in eight out of his last 11 starts, and the Sox have won seven times when he starts, which is second behind Garrett Crochet.
Zach Littell recorded six innings for the 11th time this season where he allowed eight hits, four earned runs (all solo home runs), no walks, and six strikeouts. He had snapped a career-long streak of allowing three or less earned runs in 10 straight starts. His four home runs ties a career high that he did against the Los Angeles Angels on April 10th. He does have second longest streak of now allowing more than four earned runs in a start, as he had a 21 start streak spanning from 2018 to 2024 with the Minnesota Twins, the San Francisco Giants and Rays.
The aforementioned four home run blasts from the Sox started in the first with Jarren Duran’s eighth career leadoff home run and third this season. Then Marcelo Mayer had two solo shots, for his first multi-homer game of his career. Mayer is the 10th Sox player to have a multi-homer game within their first 15 major league games, and he’s the third youngest to do it with Billy Congilaro and Ted Williams.
Yandy Diaz tied the game at three with a two-run homer of his own, but Abraham Toro delivered what would be the go-ahead run in the fifth inning with a solo shot of his own.
Justin Wilson and Greg Weissert combined in the eighth inning allowing two hits, but allowing nobody to score to set up Arolidis Chapman for his 12th save of the season as the Sox won 4-3 over the Rays.
The Sox will have a day off until their three-game series against the New York Yankees on Friday, when Crochet goes up against Ryan Yarborough. The Rays will travel down to Queens as they will face off against the New York Mets at Citi Field with Taj Bradley going up against Clay Holmes.
