ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. _ The Rays didn't provide much of an opening act for Sunday's Tampa Bay tripleheader, losing to the league-worst Red Sox, 6-3, and looking bad in doing so.
The Rays started the day, which also includes a Lightning playoff game and the Bucs' regular-season opener, with the American League's best record, but dropped to 30-17, slowing their march toward a playoff berth. Also, a possible East division championship as they held a 4 {-game lead over Toronto going into play Sunday.
Down 2-0 six Charlie Morton pitches into the game, the Rays took a 3-2 lead into the fifth. But neither Pete Fairbanks nor rookie Ryan Thompson could provide the needed relief as the Sox scored twice in the fifth and sixth, and took it from there.
The Rays didn't do much to help their pitchers, failing to take advantage of three Red Sox errors and a couple of other misplays.
They got one run in the first when Mike Brosseau doubled in Joey Wendle, and two in the fourth on the first homer of the season by catcher Kevan Smith.
Fairbanks took over for Morton with one on and one out in the fifth, and allowed a four-pitch walk to Christian Vazquez, then an RBI double to Rafael Devers and a run-scoring groundout to J.D. Martinez. He also hit a batter before getting out of the inning with the Rays down 4-3.
Thompson, the rookie side-armer, took over for the sixth and quickly made it worse.
He fell behind leadoff man Michael Chavis and walked him, then started 3-0 and gave up a two-run homer to Christian Arroyo, the former Hernando High standout and ex-Ray. Arroyo, picked up by the Red Sox off waivers from the Indians on Aug. 13, had a decent homecoming weekend, going 4-for-15 with two homers.
Morton, in his third start back after three-plus weeks on the injured list with shoulder inflammation, settled down after a rough start to work into the fifth.
He allowed a double to leadoff man Yairo Munoz and a homer to Vazquez, then retired nine straight. He allowed two singles to start the fourth but got out of further trouble, and was able to at least start the fifth, throwing 77 pitches on the day.
The Rays are off Monday, then host the Nationals for two games starting Tuesday.
