BOSTON — Nelson Cruz wasn’t enough for the Rays on Wednesday.
The 41-year-old designated hitter delivered another key hit, a two-out single in the top of the eighth inning to score the game’s first run, but the Red Sox struck back and beat the Rays, 2-1.
Hunter Renfroe, a Ray last season, had the big blow, a two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the eighth off JT Chargois.
The Rays had brought in just-activated reliever Matt Wisler to protect the lead in the eighth, but he gave up a leadoff single to Alex Verdugo and then was removed after manager Kevin Cash and assistant athletic trainer Mark Vinson visited the mound. Wisler missed 3½ weeks due to right middle finger inflammation.
Chargois replaced Wisler, got two outs, then gave up the towering homer to Renfroe.
With the loss, the Rays’ American League-best record dropped to 88-52. Their East division lead could be cut to 8½ games, pending the Yankees’ result against the Blue Jays.
Rays rookie Wander Franco drew an eighth-inning walk to extend his on-base streak to 38 games. It is the second-longest in major-league history for a player 20 and under, behind the 43-game run by Frank Robinson for the 1956 Reds.
Franco now has the longest streak for a rookie shortstop of any age, surpassing Chico Carrasquel, who had 37 for the 1950 White Sox. (Technically, Franco had the mark, since Major League Baseball first defined rookie status in 1958.)
The game also featured the start of Rays outfielder Josh Lowe’s big-league career, as the 24-year-old prospect was called up from Triple-A. He had a walk, a stolen base and an infield single.
The game was scoreless through the first seven innings.
Lefty Shane McClanahan started for the Rays, allowing three singles over five innings while throwing 68 pitches. He was lifted at that point, presumably because of how hard the Red Sox were hitting him, with eight balls (including all three hits) measured at 100 mph or more and two others greater than 95 mph.
Andrew Kittredge worked a scoreless sixth for the Rays, Pete Fairbanks the seventh.
Nathan Eovaldi, another ex-Ray, worked seven strong innings for the Sox, allowing three hits while striking out eight.
After hitting big home runs the previous two days, Cruz delivered a two-out, ground-ball single up the middle with two outs in the eighth to score Brandon Lowe, who started the rally with a single before Franco walked.
The Rays have benefited from Cruz’s presence in the lineup since his July 23 arrival from Minnesota but have waiting for him to get hot. He has, driving in at least one run in each of his last six games, with hits in seven of his last eight.
