Rays 5, Red Sox 4: Meadows, BLowe and Margot come up big

On a tight back and forth game where both teams took turns trying and failing to land the knock out punch, Tyler Glasnow secured his third win of the season. All it took was some slumbering bats to wake up during a 5-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox.

The Rays chose not to send up the all lefty lineup against old friend Nate Eovaldi, and instead gave a few righties a chance.

One lefty in particular who got the day off was Kevin Kiermaier.

Tyler Glasnow took the hill for the Rays, and worked around an infield single and a steal to hang a zero in the first.

In the bottom of the frame, slumping Austin Meadows led off for the Rays and did this:

1-0 Rays!

The Rays had a chance to add on when Ji-Man Choi hit a two out double near the Crawford cutout, and Joey Wendle was plunked with a 1-2 curve. But a non-bespectacled Willy Adames whiffed on four pitches to end the threat.

The Rays had another shot in the second when Manuel Margot singled with one out, but he was caught stealing on what looked like a poorly executed delayed steal.

In the top of the third, Michael Chavis drove a Glasnow fastball out to center to tie the score.

Glasnow ran into another speed bump in the fourth when Bogaerts drew a walk, then stole second and third, and scored on a single by Plawecki. 2-1 Red Sox.

Chris Mazza took over for Eovaldi in the bottom of the fourth, and it didn’t go well. First, he walked Choi on six pitches. Choi then moved up to second on a wild pitch that Wendle swung through for strike three. Adames followed by working a walk. Then Nate Lowe ripped a single that scored Choi and pushed Adames to third. Unfortunately, on the play Choi appeared to injure his hamstring.

He would be replaced at DH by Tsutsugo.

Margot was next and continued to own the Red Sox with a base clearing double to left center.

4-2 Rays!

A Perez grounder to first moved Margot to third, but Meadows was unable to get him in.

The Red Sox blew a scoring chance in their half of the fifth. It started when Chavis reached on a strikeout/wild pitch. After a deep flyout by Arroyo, Chavis swiped second, the fifth steal of the game against Tyler. But Chavis apparently forgot how many outs there were, as he took off running on a Vertugo pop up. Wendle made the catch and easily doubled him off second.

In the sixth, Glasnow worked through another jam. It started when Devers reached on an infield single, then moved up on a curve that bounced well in front of the plate. But Glasnow got out of the jam, getting Bogaerts to ground out to third, Martinez to chase a full count curve below the zone, and Plawecki to fly to center.

In the Rays half of the sixth, Joey Wendle led off with a single to center. After Willy Adames just missed hitting one out to left, Wendle stole second on a Nate Lowe strikeout. Joey then moved up to third on a wild pitch, but Margot was unable to get the man in, striking out on a 2-2 slider.

In the Red Sox seventh, JBJ led off with a single to center. Glasnow rebounded to strikeout Munoz on three pitches. But the Sox got the runner in scoring position with yet another steal. Glasnow then struck out Chavis with his 99th pitch of the game.

Perhaps the Rays should have made the move to pull Tyler, because with two out, Arroyo hit Glasnow’s 101st pitch out to left. 4-4 tie game.

Marcus Walden got the call for the Red Sox. With one out, Brandon Lowe hammered one.

5-4 Rays!

Nick Anderson took over in the eighth and sat the side down in order, though a deep fly by Bogaerts (on a heater at the top of the zone he had no business getting to) was snared at the wall by Meadows.

Diego Castillo got the call for the ninth. He struck out the first two hitters he faced before giving up a double to Munoz. But he retired Chavis on a grounder to third, securing their 30th win of the season.

They wrap up this four game series tomorrow at 1:10 PM.