ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Rick Porcello pitched six strong innings, Travis Shaw homered and drove in five runs for the third time this season and the Boston Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 8-2 on Tuesday night to end a three-game losing streak.
Porcello (9-2) retired the last nine batters he faced after giving up a bases-loaded walk to Nick Franklin in the fourth. That was the only run the right-hander allowed while also yielding five hits.
Shaw had a solo homer, a two-run double and a two-run single for the Red Sox, who broke a close game open with a three-run seventh. David Ortiz continued to climb the career RBI list with a third-inning double, and Jackie Bradley Jr. and Hanley Ramirez also drove in runs for Boston.
Ortiz’s hit gave the Red Sox a 2-0 lead against Chris Archer (4-11), who’s gone from being an All-Star a year ago to leading the major leagues in losses this season. One night after moving ahead of Reggie Jackson for sole possession of 24th on the career RBI list, the slugger pulled even with another Hall of Famer, Frank Thomas, for 23rd with 1,704.
Light-hitting Tampa Bay snapped an 11-game losing streak on Monday night, pounding out a season-high 18 hits in a 13-7 win that saddled Boston with its sixth loss in eight games.
The offensive outburst didn’t spill over to Tuesday.
The Rays loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth, but only scored once — with Porcello’s third walk of the inning forcing in the run. The Boston right-hander, who had not walked more than two batters in any of his previous 19 starts, wiggled off the hook by getting Logan Forsythe to fly to right field and fanning Hank Conger and Brad Miller.
Porcello and reliever Junichi Tazawa didn’t allow another baserunner until Miller’s solo homer trimmed Tampa Bay’s deficit to 6-2 with two outs in the seventh.
Archer, who allowed four runs and seven hits over 6 1/3 innings, fell to 1-8 lifetime against the Red Sox, who’ve won eight straight decisions against the right-hander.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: SS Xander Bogaerts, who leads the majors with 109 hits and is batting .343, had a scheduled day off. … C Ryan Hanigan (strained neck) will have his status evaluated after catching a full game Wednesday with Triple-A Pawtucket.
MOVING DAY
Red Sox: Reliever Pat Light was recalled from Pawtucket to take the roster spot of LHP Eduardo Rodriguez, who was optioned to the International League club after allowing nine runs in 2 2/3 innings in Monday night’s 13-7 loss to the Rays. The outing increased Rodriguez’s ERA from 6.41 to 8.59. Boston won’t need a starter to replace Rodriguez until sometime between Sunday and Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Red Sox: LHP David Price (8-4, 4.68 ERA) starts the series finale against his former team. The 2012 AL Cy Young Award winner ranks among the league leaders in strikeouts, innings pitched and wins. He has an AL-leading four outings with double-digit strikeouts, most by a Boston pitcher in a single season since Jon Lester had seven in 2010.
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