The Dominican Brayan Bello allowed one run and five hits over five and two-thirds innings, in which he walked two and struck out seven, but Boston’s bats were shackled by Zack Littel, in the Rays’ 2-0 victory over Boston.
Bello (14-8) thus saw a two-game winning streak snapped, after having beaten the Yankees and Baltimore in his last two appearances.
With his seven strikeouts on Thursday, Bello is one shy of 150 for the season.
Zack Littell (8-9) allowed one hit in seven innings and made his 28th start. He leads his team in that category, in his first full season as a starter. He struck out seven and did not issue any walks.
After Tampa Bay’s Edwin Uceta pitched a perfect eighth inning, Garrett Cleavinger pitched a three-man ninth to earn his sixth save in seven opportunities.
Nick Sogard’s two-out single in the third inning was Boston’s only hit of the game.
The Red Sox begin a three-game series at Fenway Park on Friday against Minnesota. They are four games behind the Twins and Tigers in the race for the final wild-card spot in the American League playoffs.
Boston would also have to overtake Seattle.
Tampa Bay is five games out of the final wild-card spot. Both the Rays and Red Sox have nine games remaining in the season.
For the Red Sox, Dominican Rafael Devers went 0-for-3. Venezuelan Wilyer Abreu went 0-for-2 and Mexican Jarren Duran went 0-for-3.
For the Rays, Dominicans Jose Siri went 1-for-3 with one run scored, Edwin Uceta pitched one inning and struck out two, Cuban Yandy Diaz went 1-for-3, Mexican Jonathan Aranda went 1-for-4, and Panamanian Jose Caballero went 1-for-4.
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