BOSTON – René Pinto hit a two-run homer, Manuel Margot added a pair of RBI singles as part of a four-hit effort, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Tampa Bay Red Sox 9-7 on Tuesday. Boston.
Starter Zach Eflin (16-8) allowed three runs and five hits in five innings but earned his third win in four starts. Pete Fairbanks struck out three batters while pitching a scoreless ninth inning and reaching 25 saves.
With the victory, Tampa Bay (96-62) continued Baltimore’s “magic number” of games to two to win the title of the American League East Division. The Orioles beat Washington that day.
Boston (76-81) has lost five of its last six games. Dominican Emmanuel Valdez had three hits and drove in four runs, the most of his career, while Venezuelan Wilyer Abreu added a two-run double.
Tampa Bay led 7-0 before Valdez put Boston on the board with a three-run homer in the fifth.
For the Rays, Mexicans Jonathan Aranda was 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI, Isaac Paredes 0-for-5 with a run scored. Dominicans Junior Caminero 5-1 with one run scored and one RBI, Margot 4-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs, Raimel Tapia 3-0 with one run scored. Venezuelan Pinto was 1 for 3 with a run scored and two RBIs. Colombian Harold Ramírez went 1-0 with an RBI.
For the Red Sox, Mexican Alex Verdugo won 3-1. Dominicans Rafael Devers 5-0, Valdez 4-3 with a run scored and four RBIs. Venezuelan Abreu was 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBIs.
