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Red Sox Wrap: Ninth-Inning Breakdown Wastes Brayan Bello Gem
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- Red Sox Wrap: Ninth-Inning Breakdown Wastes Brayan Bello Gem
Red Sox Wrap: Ninth-Inning Breakdown Wastes Brayan Bello Gem originally appeared on NESN . Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Boston Red Sox could not have asked much more from Brayan Bello on Saturday. Unfortunately for Boston, nearly everything around him went wrong at the worst possible moments.
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Bello delivered eight outstanding innings, but the Red Sox squandered several scoring opportunities before the Tampa Bay Rays walked off with a 2-1 victory at Tropicana Field. Richie Palacios ended the game with a two-out single off Garrett Whitlock , bringing Junior Caminero home from third base. The loss dropped Boston to 84-71 and evened the three-game series at one victory apiece.
Here are four takeaways from Saturday's game:
Bello Brilliant In Tough-Luck Start
Bello did everything necessary to earn a victory. The right-hander allowed only one earned run on five hits over eight innings. He did not issue a walk, struck out 11 and threw 65 of his 93 pitches for strikes.
Bello retired the first three batters he faced and struck out seven through his first five innings. Tampa Bay's only run against him came when Jonathan Aranda opened the fourth inning with a 361-foot home run.
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The Rays threatened again in the seventh after singles from Lathan Hicks and Chandler Simpson placed two runners aboard with nobody out. Bello escaped without allowing a run, getting Víctor Mesa Jr. on a groundout, Palacios on a fielder's choice at the plate and Cedric Mullins on a strikeout.
Bello finished the eighth by retiring Tampa Bay in order. He set down 17 of the final 20 hitters he faced and ended the afternoon with a season-high 11 strikeouts.
Boston Offense Wastes Its Chances
The Red Sox collected eight hits but finished only 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight runners. Boston scored its only run in the third inning. Caleb Durbin opened the frame with a double, advanced to third on Jarren Duran 's sacrifice bunt and scored when Roman Anthony doubled to center field.
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That was all the Red Sox produced against Freddy Peralta and four Tampa Bay relievers.
Boston placed two runners aboard in both the fourth and sixth innings without scoring. Adley Rutschman doubled with one out in the eighth, but Wilyer Abreu struck out and Nick Sogard lined out to end the threat.
The most frustrating missed opportunity arrived in the ninth.
Durbin doubled with one out but was caught trying to steal third. Duran then tripled to center field, a hit that almost certainly would have scored Durbin had he remained at second. Isiah Kiner-Falefa grounded out to strand Duran and keep the game tied.
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Ninth Inning Unravels On Whitlock
Whitlock entered for the bottom of the ninth after Bello's terrific afternoon and immediately surrendered a single to Caminero. Whitlock retired Jonny DeLuca before Simpson added another single. A passed ball charged to Connor Wong moved both runners into scoring position, although Whitlock responded by striking out Mesa for the second out.
He could not escape the inning.
Palacios lined a 2-2 sinker into right field, allowing Caminero to score the winning run. The run was unearned because of Wong's passed ball, but Whitlock took the loss after surrendering three hits in two-thirds of an inning.
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MORE: How the Red Sox Can Clinch a Playoff Spot on Saturday
Series Finale Takes On Added Importance
Boston entered Saturday with a chance to take another significant step toward securing its postseason spot after winning Friday's series opener. Instead, the Red Sox will need to regroup quickly following one of their most frustrating losses of the season.
The defeat dropped Boston to 84-71 and left the Red Sox 10 1/2 games behind the first-place Rays in the American League East. More importantly, it prevented Boston from building additional momentum in the wild-card race.
The Red Sox and Rays will decide the series Sunday at Tropicana Field. First pitch is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. ET.
