Alfredo Aceves allowed a ninth-inning, two-run home run to Sean Rodriguez, handing the Rays a 4-3 win over the Red Sox in the teams' series finale, Sunday at Fenway Park. The homer, which came with one out and on a 3-1 pitch, snapped Aceves' streak of nine successful saves in as many opportunities.
With the loss the Red Sox fail to go over .500, having now had five chances this season to do so.
The Red Sox had taken a one-run lead into the ninth thanks to Adrian Gonzalez' seventh-inning, three-run homer against Tampa Bay starter Jeremy Hellickson.
Losing out on the win for the Red Sox was starter Clay Buchholz, who allowed two runs over seven innings, lowing his ERA to 7.19. The righty gave up eight hits, striking out six and walking one.
Gonzalez' homer, which was his fourth of the season (and first to the opposite field), came after Hellickson began the seventh by walking David Ortiz and then allowing a single up the middle by Kevin Youkilis. The Red Sox right fielder (at least for Sunday) proceeded to push the righty's low-and-outside changeup just over the left field wall and inside the foul pole.
For more of what went right, and wrong, in the the Red Sox' loss, click here [1].
For more Red Sox news, go to the team page at weei.com/redsox [2].
Links:
[1] http://fullcount.weei.com/
[2] http://weei.com/redsox
[3] http://www.weei.com/category/boston/red-sox