BASEBALL: Nick Martinez, Rays hold down Red Sox to seal series win

Ryan Vilade went 3-for-4 and Nick Martinez delivered seven-plus strong innings as the Tampa Bay Rays edged the Boston Red Sox 4-3 on Tuesday.

Martinez (6-2) allowed three runs on six hits. He exited in the eighth inning after the first three batters reached base. He struck out two without issuing a walk. Bryan Baker closed out the game by retiring Boston in order in the ninth to secure his 18th save.

Ben Williamson and Nick Fortes each had two hits and an RBI for Tampa Bay. Yandy Díaz extended his on-base streak to 23 consecutive games after finishing with a single and a walk, the longest active streak in Major League Baseball.

For Boston, Payton Tolle (3-3) pitched six innings, giving up four runs on nine hits and one walk while striking out three. Isiah Kiner-Falefa collected two hits and scored twice for the Red Sox.

Tampa Bay improved to 2-0 in the three-game series and went 5-for-10 with runners in scoring position. Boston dropped its third straight game.

The Red Sox struck first in the third inning when Kiner-Falefa doubled with one out and scored on a two-out single by Jarren Duran.

Tampa Bay responded with a three-run fourth inning. Vilade doubled and scored on a two-out single by Cedric Mullins. Williamson followed with an RBI double to bring in Mullins and later scored on a double by Fortes.

The Rays added an insurance run in the sixth to make it 4-1. Williamson reached on an infield single with two outs, advanced on a Fortes hit-by-pitch, and scored on a single by Richie Palacios.

Boston rallied in the eighth, scoring twice on a two-run double by Marcelo Mayer that brought home Caleb Durbin and Kiner-Falefa. Kevin Kelly replaced Martinez and limited further damage, with Mayer stranded at third to end the inning.

— Field Level Media/Reuters