Tampa Bay outfielders Luke Raley, left, Brett Phillips, center, and Josh Lowe celebrate after a 5-4 win Thursday against the Red Sox in St. Petersburg, Fla. Scott Audette/Associated Press
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Taylor Walls and Yandy Díaz had two-run singles during a five-run outburst in the seventh inning, helping the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Boston Red Sox 5-4 Thursday night to complete a four-game sweep.
The Red Sox appeared to be in control with rookie Kutter Crawford taking a three-hitter into the seventh and Boston leading 3-0.
The right-hander, whose longest big league outing had been 5 1/3 innings, quickly allowed three consecutive hits, including Josh Lowe’s RBI double.
Red Sox Manager Alex Cora went to normally reliable reliever John Schreiber, who entered with an 0.60 ERA and had stranded all 14 inherited runners this season.
Schreiber (2-1) gave up Walls’ game-tying hit and Díaz’s go-ahead single. His ERA climbed to 1.16 after giving up two runs and three hits in one inning. It was just the second time in 32 appearances this season that he allowed an earned run.
Crawford ended up allowing three runs and six hits along with six strikeouts.
Tommy Romero (1-0) worked a scoreless seventh to get his first major league win.
Jalen Beeks got his first save since Aug, 19, 2020, despite allowing Alex Verdugo’s RBI double with no outs in the ninth. The lefty struck out pinch-hitter Bobby Dalbec and coaxed a grounder from Jeter Downs with two runners on to end it.
Boston All-Star Rafael Devers opened the scoring with a solo homer in the fourth off Drew Rasmussen.
Xander Bogaerts had a two-out double that drove in J.D. Martinez, who had walked, during a two-run fifth inning that put the Red Sox up 3-0. Jarren Duran had a leadoff single and scored on a wild pitch earlier in Bogaerts’ at-bat.
Rasmussen gave up three runs and four hits in six innings.
LOW TURNOUT
The four-game series at Tropicana Field drew a total of 43,728 fans. In comparison, the average attendance during a three-game series between the teams July 4-6 at Fenway Park averaged 33,774.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: Right-hander Josh Winckowski tested positive for COVID-19 after allowing three runs over six innings in Wednesday night’s 4-1 loss to the Rays. Winckowski, who is vaccinated, was placed on the COVID-19 related IL.
Rays: Right-hander Shane Baz (right elbow sprain) went on the 15-day injured list. The Rays are tied with Cincinnati for the most players on the IL with 17.
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