ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. _ Rays manager Kevin Cash stopped short of calling Wednesday's game against the Red Sox a must-win, but he did say it was "pretty important." His team lost seven of its last eight games and was in danger of losing its grip on second place in the AL East prior to a six-game road trip.
Charlie Morton to the rescue.
The veteran right-hander threw seven innings, six of them impressive, and the bullpen nailed down the final six outs in a 3-2 win. Morton (12-3) struck out 11 and threw 105 pitches. Relievers Adam Kolarek and Chaz Roe got three outs in the eighth and Emilio Pagan got three outs in the ninth to save the game.
"(Morton) has proven to be that guy for us throughout the year, throughout his career," Cash said. "It's nice to write his name in the lineup card and let him go do what he does."
Morton ran into trouble in the third, when he needed 30 pitches to get out of the inning. Brock Holt led off with a single. One out later Mookie Betts smoked a double to left-center field to put runners on second and third.
The Rays decided to shift shortstop Joey Wendle to second base, leaving a gap between third and second. Sure enough, Rafael Devers hit a grounder to where Wendle wasn't, which allowed two runs to score.
Morton settled down after that and the offense got him back into the game.
After an eight-pitch fourth, Tommy Pham led off the bottom of the inning with a home run to left that cut the lead in half. The Rays then took the lead in the fifth inning.
Mike Brosseau led off with a single and got to second on a wild pitch. Wendle, inserted into the lineup for the slumping Willy Adames, singled home Brosseau to tie the game. Wendle was hitting just .118 against lefties prior to the game. He doubled in the seventh inning and was 2 for 3 overall.
Guillermo Garcia followed that with a double that easily scored Wendle to give the Rays a 3-2 lead.
The game was delayed for 15 minutes in the eighth inning after a disputed lineup change by Cash. Kolarek got Sam Travis to pop out for the first out. Kolarek then replaced Ji-Man Choi at first and Roe pitched. Roe got an out, then Kolarek moved back to the mound and Nate Rowe went in at first.
Red Sox manager Joey Cora felt the Rays put their subs in the wrong lineup spot after replacing DH Austin Meadows. The Red Sox are protesting the game. After the delay, Kolarek got Devers to ground out.
After an off day on Thursday, the Rays begin a three-game series at the Blue Jays on Friday.
