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Rays edge Red Sox 1-0 for 8th win in 9 games

By The Associated Press

Randy Arozarena Tampa Bay Rays' Randy Arozarena runs the bases after hitting a three-run home run against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson) (Mike Carlson/AP)

By The Associated Press

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Yonny Chirinos pitched three spotless innings in relief to win his first major league outing in two years Wednesday night, leading the Tampa Bay Rays to a 1-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox.

Taylor Walls drove in the only run with an infield single in the fifth, and the Rays won for the eighth time in nine games. They lead the American League wild-card race and began the day 4 1/2 games behind the first-place Yankees in the AL East.

New York was trying for a doubleheader sweep of Minnesota on Wednesday night.

Chirinos (1-0), who had Tommy John surgery following his previous appearance for the Rays on Aug. 16, 2020, struck out four and got the win. He gave up four hits and a walk.

Pete Fairbanks pitched the ninth for his sixth save in six attempts.

Boston starter Nick Pivetta (9-11) went to full counts on 10 of the first 13 hitters he faced, but did not give up a hit until Francisco Mejia led off the fifth with a double. After Mejia advanced on a groundball, Walls hit a bouncer into a shifted infield and beat it out, driving in the run.

Walls, the Rays’ light-hitting shortstop, had two of Tampa Bay’s four hits and stole a base.

The Red Sox stranded nine runners and lost for the 12th time in 16 games against the Rays.

Rays starter Jeffrey Springs gave up one hit in three innings.

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