ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays made history Thursday, tying the record for the most wins to start a season in Major League Baseball's modern era with a 9-3 win over the Boston Red Sox.
Things looked bad for the Rays as the team trailed 3-1 heading into the fifth inning of the game, and Boston pitcher Corey Kluber looked unstoppable as he had thrown seven strikeouts.
But when the bottom of the fifth inning got underway, the wheels completely came off for Boston.
The inning started with designated hitter Harold Ramirez hitting a double to start the inning. Third baseman Taylor Walls came up next and grounded out but moved Ramirez to second base.
After a quick visit to the mound, Kluber walked Josh Lowe, leaving runners on first and second. Francisco Mejia singled in Ramirez and moved Lowe to second, making the score 3-2.
Kluber was able to get first baseman Yandy Diaz to fly out to right field to leave the Rays with just one out in the inning. The Red Sox then made a pitching change to Richard Bleier, and the Rays pounced.
Brandon Lowe singled in Josh Lowe and moved Mejia to third, making the score 3-3. Left fielder Randy Arozarena then singled in Mejia, leaving the Rays with runners on first and second and a 4-3 lead.
Bleier then plunked shortstop Wander Franco and the bases were loaded. The Rays sent up pitch hitter Manuel Margot and he delivered with a bunt to score Brandon Lowe and keep the bases loaded.
That's when Ramirez came back up in the lineup and proceeded to hit a double to left field, clearing the bases and giving the Rays an 8-3 lead.
After holding the Red Sox scoreless in the sixth and seventh inning, the Rays came up to bat in the bottom of the seventh inning and extended their lead.
Brandon Lowe led off the bottom of the seventh with a homer run to right center field, making the Rays lead 9-3, and that's the way the game would end.
"I’m glad that we did it home, because we had tremendous fan support throughout this entire home stand," Rays manager Kevin Cash said during his postgame news conference. "They really got loud when we need them to, and it seemed like our guys were energized by that. No doubt. When you [start 13 and 0], you’re playing really well. There’s not one part of our game right now that we don’t feel good about."
The Rays can set the modern era record for wins to start a season when they open a series Friday night in Toronto against the Blue Jays.
