Boston came within one inning of locking up its postseason place, but Tampa Bay pushed the celebration back with a 2-1 walk-off win Saturday at Tropicana Field.
| Club | R |
|---|---|
| Red Sox | 1 |
| Rays | 2 |
Bello carries Boston through eight
Brayan Bello gave the Red Sox the kind of start that usually ends with a win. The right-hander worked eight innings on 93 pitches, scattered five hits, issued no walks and matched his personal best with 11 strikeouts.
It was Bello’s sharpest outing of the year and another marker in his turnaround. Early-season struggles had sent him to Triple-A for five weeks, but he has steadily found his footing since returning to Boston’s rotation.
Roman Anthony supplied the early offense in his home state, driving a run-scoring double in the second inning for a 1-0 Red Sox lead.
The Rays pulled even in the fourth when Jonathan Aranda opened the inning with a solo home run. From there, Bello and Tampa Bay’s pitching kept the game level until the ninth.
A break at the catwalk changes the ninth
Garrett Whitlock took over for Boston in the bottom of the ninth, and the decisive inning began with Junior Caminero getting a second chance. What appeared to be a routine foul pop struck one of Tropicana Field’s catwalks, keeping the at-bat alive. Caminero then lined a leadoff single to left.
Chandler Simpson followed with a one-out hit, putting Tampa Bay in position to finish the job. Richie Palacios delivered the final swing, dropping a soft single into right field to bring home the winning run.
The Red Sox left St. Petersburg with a loss, but only a one-day delay in their opportunity to secure a spot in the postseason. Bello’s eight-inning effort, meanwhile, stood as the lasting Boston note from a close game that slipped away at the end.
