*Photo from WCVB*
This one was a long time coming. Dominic Smith drove in two runs, Romy Gonzalez had the game winning hit, and the Boston Red Sox defeated the Tampa Bay Rays with a 5-4 victory in extra innings Tuesday night in Boston.
Playing their 5th game of the season against an opponent from the AL East, the Red Sox got their first division win of the year, aided by Gonzalez's walk off hit in the 12th inning. It also served as Gonzalez's first career major league walk off as the Red Sox improved to 22-20.
Josh Lowe gave the Rays a first inning lead, blasting a solo home run to center field to put the Rays ahead 1-0. In the 4th inning, Smith put the Red Sox ahead by a 2-1 score, hitting a two run double to right center field. Ceddanne Rafaela made the lead 3-1 with a solo home run to left field. Randy Arozarena cut into the Rays deficit in the 6th with a solo shot of his own.
Later in the 6th, Isaac Paredes scored Lowe, tying the game 3-3 with an RBI single to right field. It stayed 3-3 until the 11th, when Arozarena scored to put the Rays ahead 4-3 on an error. In the bottom of the 11th, David Hamilton scored on a groundout to tie it 4-4. Gonzalez delivered the walk off single an inning later.
Gonzalez said of his first career walkoff that "Oh man, it's awesome. Getting a walk-off hit here in the big leagues is unbelievable. It was up and down, and obviously a great game."
Nick Pivetta got the start for the Red Sox, getting charged with two runs while striking out 8 hitters in 5 2/3 innings. Justin Slaten allowed a run in 1 1/3 innings before Chris Martin and Kenley Jansen had scoreless outings. Zack Kelly allowed a run in two innings and Brennan Bernardino pitched the 12th.
Aaron Civale allowed 3 runs in 5 innings in his start for the Rays, striking out 6 hitters. In relief, Shawn Armstrong, Phil Maton, Garrett Cleavinger, Pete Fairbanks, and Jason Adam each threw a scoreless inning. Manuel Rodriguez allowed the deciding two runs scored by the Red Sox to get the loss and the blown save.
Rays manager Kevin Cash said the loss was "Irritating. It's tough to win these extra-inning games with just one run. You’ve got to do everything perfect, and we did not do that tonight."
The series continues Wednesday night. Tanner Houck takes the mound for the Red Sox in the 3rd game of the 4 game set, opposed by Taj Bradley of the Rays.
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