Red Sox dealt first sweep of season as Snell, Rays win 8th straight

Blake Snell pitched two-hit ball over six innings and the Tampa Bay Rays won their eighth straight game Sunday, beating Boston 9-1 to hand the major league-leading Red Sox their first sweep of the season.

Snell (16-5) allowed one run and struck out eight. He has given up no more than one earned run in 14 consecutive starts at home.

Boston (90-42) has lost six of eight and was outscored 24-5 in the three-game set.

Matt Duffy had three hits and drove in two runs for the Rays, who completed their first undefeated homestand of more than one series. They won all seven games against Kansas City and Boston.

Red Sox starter Nathan Eovaldi, acquired from the Rays in a July 25 trade, gave up hits to the first three batters he faced and fell behind 2-0.

Kevin Kiermaier's two-run triple was the fourth hit off Eovaldi in a three-run third that left Tampa Bay with a 5-0 lead.

Eovaldi (5-6) dropped to 2-2 with Boston. He gave up six runs — five earned — and eight hits in four innings while striking out five. In his last four starts, the right-hander has allowed 35 hits in 17 innings.

Associated Press