Apr 23, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays catcher Rene Rivera (44) is congratulated by shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera (13) and teammates after he hit the game winning walk off RBI single during the ninth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Tropicana Field. Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Boston Red Sox 2-1. Photo Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays got strong pitching from Jake Odorizzi in their first walk-off victory this year, beating the Boston Red Sox 2-1 in the ninth inning on an RBI single by catcher Rene Rivera at Tropicana Field.
Rookie first baseman Allan Dykstra led off the ninth with a single and rookie Tim Beckman entered as a pinch runner. Center fielder Kevin Kiermaier singled with one out and Rivera, batting .122 entering the game, ripped a single down the left-field line to drive in Dykstra for his second career walk-off hit.
The two starting pitchers — Tampa Bay’s Jake Odorizzi and Boston’s Clay Buchholz — each lasted six innings and gave up one run, with the bullpen carrying the 1-1 score into the ninth.
Odorizzi gave up three hits in 6 2/3 innings, with the last hit a two-out single by left fielder Allen Craig in the seventh. Odorizzi left after a walk to shortstop Xander Bogaerts, but reliever Brandon Gomes got pinch-hitter Hanley Ramirez on a strikeout looking to end the inning and preserve the tie.
Buchholz struck out 10 batters in his six innings, holding the Rays to one run and two hits before leaving after 104 pitches.
Boston outfielder Mookie Betts hit a long shot to the wall in center field to open the eighth, but Kiermaier tracked it down.
Odorizzi and Buchholz each gave up a run in the second inning but were otherwise in complete control.
Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval ripped a double down the right-field line in the second, advancing on a groundout and scoring on a sacrifice fly by right fielder Daniel Nava for a 1-0 lead. Odorizzi did not allow another run until the fifth when Bogaerts beat the defensive shift with an opposite-field single to right field.
The Rays tied the score at 1 in the bottom of the second. Third baseman Evan Longoria led off with a ground-rule double to left-center, advanced on a groundout and scored on an RBI single by second baseman Logan Forsythe.
Odorizzi came into the game with a 1.74 ERA and two wins in his first three starts. Buchholz hadn’t fared as well with a 6.06 ERA and one win.
NOTES: The Rays extended the franchise record to 12 players on the disabled list as LHP C.J. Riefenhauser went on with left shoulder inflammation, retroactive to April 19. His absence means the Rays don’t have a lefty in their bullpen. The Rays opened the season with six players on the DL, have added six already and have yet to get any back. That will change Friday, when LHP Drew Smyly (left shoulder tendinitis) will be activated to make his first start of the season against Toronto. … To take Riefenhauser’s spot on the 25-man roster, the Rays recalled rookie OF Mikie Mahtook, who went 1-for-4 with a home run in a brief stint with the team two weeks ago. … Rays 1B James Loney, out with an oblique strain, played a rehab game for Class A Charlotte. … Tampa Bay OF Steven Souza, who left Wednesday’s game with a right forearm cramp, was back in the starting lineup, batting second and playing in right field. … The Rays stay home, playing host to the Blue Jays for three games, and Boston is off to Baltimore for three games against the Orioles.
