Red Sox Top Rays In 10 Innings

By Peter Abraham
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Updated: June 27, 2015

Mookie Betts stole second base in the seventh inning on Friday night then scrambled to his feet when the throw went into center field.

Betts started for third base, stopped after running five steps, then was thrown out going back to second. It was a costly lapse, particularly in a tie game, and Betts walked off the field shaking his head.

“I went too far and it ended being a big mistake,” Betts said. “Live with it and learn from it.”

His teammates forced extra innings and Betts had a chance to make up for it. He doubled to start the 10th inning and scored with some smart base running as the Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 4-3.

Facing Steve Geltz, Betts dropped a two-strike fastball into left field. The pitch was inside but Betts was able to bring his bat around quickly and get to the ball. That extended his hit streak to 13 games.
Box score: Red Sox 4, Rays 3

“I wasn’t necessarily trying to make up for anything,” Betts said. “Just going out and trying to help the team put a run across. Fortunately I got a ball to fall.”

When Brock Holt singled to shallow left field, Betts aggressively headed for the plate and scored without a play. He read the ball perfectly and never slowed.

Holt took a hard turn around first base, giving the Rays a reason to cut off what was a weak thrown from David DeJesus. Holt was caught in a rundown after Betts scored.

“If [Betts] was going to go, I was going to go,” Holt said. “Fortunately he was able to score. Score the run for the out.”

Holt fouled a ball off just above his right ankle earlier in the game and was limping a bit in the final innings. But he was not coming out of a lineup already missing injured stars Dustin Pedroia and Hanley Ramirez.

“I fouled it off it pretty good. But it’ll be fine,” Holt said. “Just a little bruise and sore.”

Koji Uehara handled the Rays in the bottom of the inning for his 15th save. He retired the side in order, getting two strikeouts. Alexi Ogando (2-0) was the winner, getting one out.

The Sox have won five of eight.

Sox starter Rick Porcello allowed three runs on nine hits over six innings with one walk and five strikeouts. Statistically, it was an improvement from the 30 runs gave up over 36 innings in his previous six starts, all losses. But Porcello also let a 3-1 lead get away in the sixth inning.

Joey Butler started the inning with a single. Evan Longoria hammered a fastball to right field for a double as Porcello missed his location badly. The ball thumped off the wall and Butler went to third.

DeJesus drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to left field. Longoria tagged up and went to third on the play.

With the infield in, Porcello fell behind Logan Forsythe and threw a breaking pitch that bounced. A better defensive catcher might have smothered the ball but it got past Blake Swihart and Longoria scored the tying run.

Swihart, while athletic, is still learning the proper technique to control balls that bounce.

“That’s been an ongoing development need for him,” manager John Farrell said. “That’s a learned skill.”

Porcello understands he can’t hide from a 5.54 earned run average after 15 starts. But he also doesn’t feel it’s necessarily reflective of how he has pitched.

“When it isn’t going the way you want it to, it’s frustrating. It’s even more frustrating when you feel like you’re not too far off from having quality starts,” he said.

“One or two bad pitches a game and it ends up being a big difference. It’s definitely been a frustrating stretch but this was a positive step.”

Said Farrell: “I thought he was down in the strike zone with more consistency tonight. Kept us in the ballgame. Quality start for him.”

Both teams missed chances to score in the ninth inning.

Mike Napoli, who reached base four times, scored two runs, and stole a base, singled to lead off the ninth inning against Brad Boxberger.

Alejandro De Aza twice missed trying to bunt then struck out. Swihart popped to center and Jackie Bradley Jr. struck out looking.

In the bottom of the inning, Asdrubal Cabrera ripped the first pitch from Craig Breslow down the third base line for a double. The Sox intentionally walked Jake Elmore.

Curt Casali struck out after failing to get a bunt down. Kevin Kiermaier grounded slowly to second base and the only play was at first base.

With runners on second and third and two outs, Farrell went to righthander Ogando to face the righthanded-hitting Butler. Butler lined out to right field and the game went to extra innings.

De Aza and Bradley drove in runs in the second inning against Rays starter Alex Colome.