ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Shut down and shut out through six innings Thursday, the Rays rallied for five runs in the seventh and beat the Red Sox, 5-4, to complete a four-game series sweep.
Taylor Walls and Yandy Diaz had the big hits in the Rays’ big inning, in which they chased starter Kutter Crawford and beat up on reliever John Schreiber to take a 5-3 lead.
The ninth inning was tense, as Jalen Beeks allowed a Xander Bogaerts leadoff single, then an Alex Verdugo double that got the Red Sox within one.
Rookie Jonathan Aranda got the Rays going in the seventh inning with a leadoff double, Christian Bethancourt singled and Josh Lowe doubled to start their scoring and end Crawford’s night.
Walls then laced a single to left field on an 0-2 pitch that scored two to tie it. Luke Raley was hit by a pitch to put two on, and Brett Phillips bunted them up to third and second.
With the infield playing in, Diaz, who has been the Rays’ hottest hitter, bounced a single over second, with Walls and a hustling Raley coming in.
After starter Drew Rasmussen allowed three runs over six innings, the Rays brought in rookie Tommy Romero for the seventh, then took him out for the eighth since they got the lead. But that was enough for his first big-league win.
The victory improved the Rays to 49-40, as they hold the top wild-card spot in the American League.
It was the fourth time in their 25-season history they completed a four-game series sweep; and the third against Boston (though first at Tropicana Field).
Rasmussen didn’t pitch all that badly, allowing those three runs on four hits, walking one and striking out five.
But he had himself to blame for much of the damage.
Rasmussen allowed a homer on an 0-2 pitch to Rafael Devers leading off the fourth, and in the sixth threw a wild pitch, past new catcher Bethancourt that scored the second run and allowed JD Martinez to move up to second and be in position to score the third.
