Rays 7, Red Sox 2: The stage is set for the battle of third place

Baz strong again as Rays win again in Fenway

The Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox faced off again late Saturday afternoon for the second-to-last time this season and set up a battle for sole possession of the title “Third Best Team in the AL East”. Maybe more importantly, the Rays second consecutive win secured a series win and a chance for the Rays to finish 81-81 with a win on Sunday... because nothing would be more fitting.

Shane Baz made his 14th start of the season following a long journey back from multiple injuries and put a bow on his 2024 campaign. The young right-hander tossed six innings of two-run baseball. Baz struck out seven, walked one, and allowed just three hits. He earned the win, his fourth of the year and finished the year with a 3.06 ERA and 1.06 WHIP over 79.1 innings. The Rays are sure to be excited about what he brings to the table in 2025.

Opposite Baz was Red Sox starter Kutter Crawford who did’t fare as well, exiting after only 4.1 innings. He surrendered six earned runs, five hits and walked four. The loss was his 16th of the year.

The Red Sox scored first as Casas hit a first inning solo shot to give the Sox a 1-0 lead, but Junior Caminero answered in the third with a two-run shot, scoring Yandy Diaz, and giving the Rays a 2-1 lead. The blast was his sixth of the year.

Caminero led the way at the plate for the Rays going 3-5 with a a homer, three runs batted in, and two runs scored.

In the fifth, he added to the lead with an RBI-single scoring Diaz again. Aranda followed with a RbI single of his own scoring Brandon Lowe. Josh Lowe followed with a two-run single of his own, driving in Caminero and Aranda. The Rays would take a 6-1 lead and never look back.

A wild pitch from Baz gave the Red Sox their second and final run of the night. The following half inning, Morel got that run back with a RBI-single of his own and gave the Rays a 7-2 lead.

That score would hold and with the win, the Rays moved to 80-81. They will play their last game of the 2024 season tomorrow and will send Ryan Pepiot to the bump. he will be in search of his ninth win. With a win, the Rays would avoid their first losing season since 2017 when they went 80-82.