Red Sox Outfielder: Win Over Rays ‘Weight Off Shoulders’

The Boston Red Sox offense woke up on Friday. They scored 11 runs in an 11-7 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. It was the largest offensive output in a game since September 7, when Boston beat the Cleveland Guardians by the same score.

The game was tight for six innings with the Rays leading by a run entering the seventh. Jarren Duran crushed a home run to right field, giving the Red Sox a lead that they held for the rest of the night.

In the eighth inning, the game was blown open. The Red Sox recorded four hits, three walks and a hit by pitch to go with two Rays errors. They scored seven runs in the inning and held on despite a shaky ninth inning. Duran was 2-6 with two RBIs and two runs from the leadoff spot.

“Honestly, I feel like stuff was falling for us. I feel like we’ve a lot of quality at-bats. Today just felt like we lifted the weight off our shoulders. We’re just trying to have some fun and play loose,” Duran said.

Hopefully, Boston can use Friday’s performance as a launch pad. Ceddanne Rafaela had a four-hit game after a cold streak, while Alex Bregman hit his first home run in some time.

With just over one week to go, the Red Sox are still clinging to a Wild Card spot. They’ve struggled in September, but additional offense would go a long way in helping them cling to that spot. They’re now 9-2 against the Rays and have two games remaining in the series.

Elsewhere, the Guardians beat the Minnesota Twins to keep pace with the Red Sox. The Seattle Mariners also beat the Houston Astros to reclaim the lead in the American League West and take the Astros into a tie with the Red Sox for the second Wild Card spot.