BASEBALL: Rays earn 4-1 win, take two of three from rival Red Sox

The visiting Tampa Bay Rays scored three runs across the first three innings and leaned on a strong outing from Nick Martinez to secure a 4-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox in the finale of a shortened three-game series.

Junior Caminero opened the scoring with a solo home run in the first inning, and Tampa Bay quickly built on that momentum with a two-run second inning to establish an early lead it would not surrender.

Martinez improved to 4-1 after allowing one run on seven hits over 5 2/3 innings, striking out three. The right-hander worked through traffic in each of the first five innings but consistently limited Boston’s scoring chances. The win marked Tampa Bay’s second of the weekend after taking the series opener on Thursday. Saturday’s game was postponed due to rain.

New Hampshire native Mickey Gasper led Boston’s offense, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and recording his first three hits of his major league career. He also drove in the Red Sox’s lone run. Both teams finished with eight hits in the game.

Boston first baseman Willson Contreras exited in the first inning after being hit by a pitch on the right hand. X-rays came back negative, and Andruw Monasterio replaced him, finishing 2-for-3 with a double.

Tampa Bay wasted little time striking first, as Caminero launched a low pitch into the Green Monster seats in left-center field for a solo homer in just the second at-bat of the game.

After both Martinez and Boston starter Payton Tolle (1-2) settled in through the middle innings, the Rays extended their advantage in the third. Nick Fortes singled to lead off the frame, moved to second on Taylor Walls’ sacrifice bunt, and scored when Chandler Simpson reached on a misplayed grounder by shortstop Trevor Story. Ben Williamson followed with an RBI single to right, pushing the lead to 3-0.

The Rays added an insurance run in the sixth when Cedric Mullins executed a squeeze bunt with one out off reliever Tyler Samaniego. The rally began with Williamson drawing a walk, followed by a pinch-hit single from Jonathan Aranda that set the table for Mullins’ RBI bunt against Zach Kelly.

Martinez held Boston scoreless through five innings before the Red Sox broke through in the sixth. Story doubled with one out, and Gasper followed with an RBI single to right to end the shutout bid.

Bryan Baker closed out the game with a scoreless ninth inning to earn his 10th save of the season for Tampa Bay. -Field Level Media/Reuters