Rays Hit 4 More Homers, Beat Red Sox for 11th Straight Win
The Tampa Bay Rays beat the Boston Red Sox 7-2, extending their season-opening win streak to 11 games. Brandon Lowe hit another homer, and Shane McClanahan pitched well.
ST. PETERSBURG (Fla.) (AP). The Tampa Bay Rays extended their winning streak in the season's first 11 games on Tuesday, thanks to another homer by Brandon Lowe, and a strong performance from Shana McClanahan.
Yandy Diaz, Lowe and two others hit consecutive solo shots in the fifth inning with only two outs. Lowe's home run streak now stands at four games.
McClanahan, who is 3-0, struck out nine batters in five and a half innings of one-run baseball.
Tampa Bay now has 29 home runs, which is the same as the record set by St. Louis Cardinals in 2000. The Rays had their third game with four homers in the early season.
The Tampa Bay win streak falls one game short the 2004 franchise record.
McClanahan walked four, but only allowed two hits. So far in this season, the left-hander is 21 strikeouts through 17 innings.
Rafael Devers led off the Boston sixth inning with a walk. Justin Turner singled him to third, and McClanahan replaced him.
Devers scored after Masataka Yushida bounced in a double-play. The Rays had not scored since Friday's ninth inning, ending a streak of 32 consecutive scoreless innings.
Paredes' third solo homer made it 3-0 at the end of the fourth. Josh Lowe started the seventh inning with his second home run, a drive into right-center center against Kaleb Or.
Garrett Whitlock (0-0) allowed five runs and eight hit in five innings during his Boston debut. The right-hander underwent hip surgery in September.
Reese McGuire scored an RBI in the ninth inning for Boston.
The Trainer's Room
RHP Zach Eflin has been placed on the injured list for 15 days due to lower back tightness. Diaz, who scored three runs and had three hits, left the game in the 8th inning due to an apparent injury. INF Taylor Walls is expected to return on Wednesday after missing two games due to left elbow tendinitis.
Taj Bradley will make his Major League debut against Red Sox Chris Sale (1-0 11.25 ERA) on Wednesday night. He was called up from Triple A Durham to replace Eflin.