BOSTON -- From an offensive standpoint, it was a frustrating night for the Rays in a 2-0 loss to the Red Sox on Friday night at Fenway Park. The loss snapped Tampa Bay’s seven-game winning streak, and it was the first time the team was blanked this season.
After collecting eight runs on 13 hits Thursday night, the Rays collected four hits against Red Sox left-hander Connelly Early, who pitched seven scoreless innings, struck out eight batters and walked one. That fourth and last hit came in the fifth inning, when Nick Fortes singled to left field.
After that, Early retired eight of the last nine batters he faced. Jonathan Aranda was the last Rays player to reach base on a walk in the sixth. Rays manager Kevin Cash wasn’t concerned about how his team performed in the batter’s box; he gave credit to Early for going deep in the game.
“You got to give credit to Connelly Early. He threw one heck of a ballgame,” Cash said. “What he did a little differently was eliminating the walks. But as far as preventing runs, he has been spot on all season for them.”
The Rays did have Early on the ropes in the third inning. They had the bases loaded and no outs but couldn’t score. After Ryan Vilade struck out, Junior Caminero hit into a double play to end the threat.
“In that inning, [Early] made some big pitches,” Cash recalled. “He got ahead of Vilade and got him at the top of the zone with a fastball and just a filthy changeup to Cammy. The changeup is what stood out to me -- a power changeup that he got swings and misses. If we hit it, we were pounding it into the ground. He threw one heck of a ballgame.”
Vilade felt if he had made contact, the game would have been different.
“It sucks for sure. Bases loaded and no outs. I didn’t come through for the boys. It was a huge turning point there,” Vilade said.
Caminero wanted to at least drive in one run, but Early won the battle.
“Unfortunately, I’ve been on top of the baseball lately, and they have been going into the ground, and that’s what happened,” Caminero said. “… He was simply the better pitcher today. He did his job. He stayed out there for a good while.”
The way the Rays were hitting, right-hander Jesse Scholtens had to be perfect -- and he wasn’t. He pitched 4 2/3 innings and allowed two homers, both solo shots to Wilyer Abreu in the bottom of the third and Ceddanne Rafaela an inning later.
“From the get-go, the control wasn’t there,” Scholtens said. “The command was off. I think that’s what led to those two homers ultimately. Fortunately, that was all they were able to get. I was unfortunate to start us off battling from the first inning.”
Right-hander Mason Englert pitched the final 3 1/3 innings without allowing a run, and that helped the bullpen, which had been heavily used during the Rays' winning streak. Englert was activated off the 15-day IL on Friday after missing time with right forearm tightness.
“It was a big deal. Mason did one heck of a job for us,” Cash said. “I appreciate his effort. It was unique coming off the IL in that circumstance. His efficiency and strike-throwing allowed him [to go that long] and freshen up the rest of the guys in the bullpen.”