Boston, MA – Shane Victorino's RBI single in the bottom of the 10th lifted the Boston Red Sox over the Tampa Bay Rays, 2-1, on Saturday.
Brandon Gomes (0-1), who recorded the final out in the ninth, stayed on to pitch the 10th for Tampa Bay. Jacoby Ellsbury hit a one-out single to center, stole second and advanced to third on catcher Jose Lobaton's throwing error. Rays manager Joe Maddon opted to play a five-man infield. Victorino clunked one between first and second and Ellsbury scored to give Boston the victory.
"It was just an outstanding game overall," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "It was well pitched on both sides."
The teams were scheduled to begin a three-game series on Friday night, but the start was delayed to Saturday when the game was postponed by inclement weather. It will be made up as part of a day-night doubleheader on June 18.
David Ross hit a solo homer for the Red Sox, who snapped a two-game skid. Starter Jon Lester allowed one run on five hits over seven innings. Junichi Tazawa (2-0) tossed a scoreless 10th to pick up the win.
Sean Rodriguez knocked in the lone run for the Rays, who have dropped four of five. David Price got the start and gave up one run on four hits while striking out eight over six innings.
"I want to try and go deeper in games," Price said. "Six innings over here just isn't enough. It was your classic AL East game."
Tampa Bay's lone run of the game came in the third. Desmond Jennings led off with a single to left-center field and raced home on Rodriguez's double down the left-field line.
Ross' homer to left in the fifth made it a 1-1 game.
Lester retired 12 straight batters before giving up a leadoff single to Yunel Escobar in the seventh. Ryan Roberts grounded into a double play and Jose Molina grounded out to keep it a tie game.
Each team left men on first and second in the ninth, sending the contest into extras.
Molina led off the 10th with a double, but Tazawa retired the next three batters.
Game Notes
The Rays went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranded seven ... Victorino and Molina each had two hits.
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