ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — David Price limited his old team to two hits in eight scoreless innings, helping the Boston Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 6-2 on Monday night to move into a tie for first place in the AL East.
Price (12-8) walked two, struck out eight and didn’t allow a runner past first base while extending Tampa Bay’s scoring drought against Boston to 25 innings dating to a series at Fenway Park before the All-Star break. Evan Longoria stopped the streak with a two-run homer off Matt Barnes in the ninth.
Boston’s Andrew Benintendi drove in a run with a fourth-inning sacrifice fly. Benintendi also kept Price’s bid for a shutout alive by denying Steven Souza Jr. what would have been a two-run homer with an eighth-inning catch that nearly sent him tumbling over a short wall in the left-field corner.
The victory was the ninth in 11 games for the Red Sox and lifted them into a tie with Toronto, which was idle Monday.
Chris Young returned from a two-month stay on the disabled list to drive in a run with a double off Blake Snell (4-6), Hanley Ramirez had a sacrifice fly in the seventh and Xander Bogaerts added a two-run homer off Danny Farquhar in the ninth.
Price, who also pitched eight scoreless innings against his former team during a 4-0 victory in Boston on July 10, won for the first time as a visitor in four decisions at Tropicana Field.
Benintendi started the game in center field. He moved to left after Young was removed for pinch-runner Jackie Bradley Jr. in the eighth. The maneuvering looked like a stroke of genius when Benintendi chased down Souza’s fly ball in the corner and made a running catch before nearly flipping over the wall.
Snell, who got his first big league win against the Red Sox on June 27, threw 94 pitches and allowed four hits and five walks in 3 2/3 innings, yet Boston was only able to build a 2-0 lead against the 23-year-old rookie.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (left hamstring) will throw a three-inning simulated game Tuesday. “More than anything, it’s not so much to answer the physical side of it, but it’s for him to test it at the higher intensity and for him to gain some comfort mentally,” manager John Farrell said. … Knuckleballer Steven Wright (right shoulder strain) will have a bullpen session Tuesday. If all goes well, there’s a chance he could start Friday night against Kansas City. … RHP Koji Uehara (right pectoral strain) will throw off a mound for the first time Tuesday.
Rays: CF Kevin Kiermaier (left hip soreness) was in the lineup after not starting the previous two games. … RHP Alex Cobb (Tommy John surgery) made his sixth rehab start, allowing five runs, nine hits and walking two for Triple-A Durham at Norfolk.
MOVING DAY
To make room for Young, who missed 51 games with a hamstring injury, the Red Sox optioned LHP Henry Owens to Triple-A Pawtucket.
MINORS’ MATTER
LHP Jason Groome, taken by Boston in the first round of this year’s amateur draft, allowed one hit and had three strikeouts over two scoreless innings in his first start for the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Red Sox against the GCL Rays.
UP NEXT
Red Sox: RHP Clay Buchholz (4-9, 5.42 ERA) gets the start, filling in for Wright. Last Thursday, he allowed one run and six hits over six innings but was not involved in the decision of a 4-3 loss at Detroit. Buchholz has a 2.63 career ERA against Tampa Bay, second-lowest among active pitchers with a minimum of 10 starts vs. the Rays.
Rays: AL strikeout leader Chris Archer (7-16, 4.18) makes his fourth start of the season against the Red Sox. He leads the majors in losses, but is 3-4 with a 3.06 ERA in seven outings since the All-Star break. He’s 0-3 against Boston this year, 1-9 with a 5.82 ERA in 14 career starts.
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