ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Wednesday’s game was a frustrating one for the Rays right down to the end.
After blowing a lead in the seventh, the Rays lost the game in the ninth when the Red Sox rallied for a run and a 3-2 win.
The winning rally off Pete Fairbanks wasn’t much — a leadoff single by Rafael Devers, an infield single by Alex Verdugo on a high bouncer and a two-out single by Jarren Duran.
That capped a night in which the Rays over the first eight innings were 0 for 11 with runners in scoring position, left seven men on, hit into three double plays and had two runners thrown out at the plate.
Five times they had a runner on second with no outs and failed to score, getting their only two runs when rookie Wander Franco homered in the third.
The loss ended the Rays’ winning streak at nine and dropped their record, which at the start of the day matched the Giants for best in the majors, to 84-49. And it shrunk their American League East lead to seven games over the Yankees, who defeated the Angels.
Announced attendance was 7,808, a small improvement from Tuesday’s 6,868 and Monday’s 6,753, the lowest for a Rays-Red Sox game at Tropicana Field in 24 seasons.
The Rays got another strong but abbreviated outing from Drew Rasmussen as he continues his transition from the bullpen to the rotation.
Rasmussen got off to a sizzling start, striking out leadoff man Kyle Schwarber on a 99-mph fastball and the first four overall. He worked one batter into the fifth, throwing 74 pitches.
Rasmussen allowed one run in the second on back-to-back balls hit to center field that were somewhat misplayed by usually smooth-fielding Manuel Margot. For the night, Rasmussen allowed the one run on three hits and no walks, striking out five.
The Rays took the lead in the third against the Red Sox’s Chris Sale, the lanky lefty making his fourth start after returning from Tommy John surgery.
After hitting into double plays to kill rallies in the first innings, the Rays got two in the third. Nelson Cruz singled with two outs, and Franco followed with his seventh homer. In doing so, Franco extended his majors-leading on-base streak to 32 games, still fifth-most all time among players 20 and younger.
The Rays turned the lead over to Collin McHugh, but after posting a zero in the sixth, he gave it up in the seventh, allowing a one-out homer to Christian Vazquez.
After not allowing an earned run over 17 appearances covering 33 2/3 innings, McHugh has done so twice in his past three outings, both coming on homers.
