Masataka Yoshida spent Friday afternoon tormenting Tampa Bay and Jake Bennett did his best metronome impression as the Boston Red Sox steamrolled the Rays 10-0 at Fenway Park, stretching Boston's winning streak to 10 games. The opener of a split doubleheader turned into a one-sided romp, with the Sox racking up 15 hits and knocking out Tampa Bay's starter by the sixth inning.
Bennett’s efficient six-inning day
Rookie left-hander Jake Bennett needed just 65 pitches to carve through six scoreless innings, allowing one hit, one walk and striking out three. His ERA dipped to 2.35 and his WHIP now sits at 0.88 across nine starts. The 10-0 final and Bennett's tidy line are reflected in the official box score at CBS Sports, which lays out just how stress-free his afternoon turned out to be.
Yoshida flirts with the cycle
Masataka Yoshida finished 3-for-5 with a double, a homer, three runs scored and one RBI, ending the day a triple shy of the cycle in front of the Fenway crowd. As reported by MLB.com, Yoshida’s solo shot in the fourth inning gave Boston an early cushion, and he kept finding his way on base as the afternoon wore on.
Big sixth and Narváez’s insurance shot
Boston turned the game into a laugher with a six-run sixth inning that featured Jarren Duran’s two-run single and a string of productive small-ball plays that pushed the lead firmly into blowout territory. Carlos Narváez later added a solo homer to finish the scoring. The long ball was reported at 412 feet with an exit velocity of 106.9 mph by the Boston Herald, a fitting exclamation point on the afternoon.
Gamboa seals it after his call-up
The Red Sox had added left-hander Alec Gamboa as the 27th man for the doubleheader, a roster move the club announced before the opener. The team’s press release named Gamboa the extra arm from Triple-A Worcester, and the box score shows the 29-year-old worked three shutout innings on 43 pitches to earn the save, per MLB.com and the official game ledger.
What’s next
The win pushed Boston’s streak to 10 games, and the club will be right back at it for the nightcap. The regularly scheduled second game is set for 7:10 p.m. at Fenway, as laid out in the Boston Globe preview. For the moment the Red Sox can soak in a rare double-digit run of consecutive wins at home before flipping the page to Game 2.
