Red Sox Get Pitching and Hitting Beat Tampa Bay 20-8 [VIDEO]

The Boston Red Sox finally played a complete game getting timely pitching and hitting and beat the Tampa Bay Rays Wednesday night at Fenway Park, 20-8

Nathan Eovaldi proved why he is the ace of the 2021 staff, going 7.0 innings and tying a career high with 10 strikeouts. He allowed only 3 hits and 1 run, walking 1.

Yacksel Rios pitched the 8th inning, striking out 1 and retiring the side on 12 pitches.

Phillips Valdez allowed 7 runs in the 9th, including a grand slam to Brett Phillips. Valdez, who will likely be optioned to Triple A Worcester to make room for Tanner Houck, gave up 5 hits, walked 2 and struck out 1.

Red Sox batters set a season high in runs with 20, hits with 19 and 9 walks.  They had 7 doubles, 2 triples and a home run.Tampa Bay's pitching was so bad they used Francisco Mejia, a catcher, on the mound in the 8th inning. Mejia hit 2 Red Sox players with sub 60 mile hour pitches, and allowed 5 hits and 6 runs

JD Martinez was 4-4 with 2 doubles and 2 runs batted in. He reached base all 6 times at the plate as he walked and was hit by a pitch.

Kike Hernandez was 3-5 with a pair of doubles, and scored each of his 3 plate appearance.

Bobby Dalbec was 2-2 with a triple and walked twice. He drove in 5 runs batted in.

Xander Bogaerts was 2-4 with a double, a 3-run homer, drove in 4 runs and walked twice.

Hunter Renfroe was 3-5 with 2 doubles

Connor Wong, who was recalled from Worcester when Christian Vazquez went on the Bereavement List, had a triple, when he came in late in the game.

Josh Fleming started for Tampa Bay and went 3.1 innings allowing 11 hits and 10 runs, all earned. He struck out 3 and walked 6.

Xander Bogaerts and Nathan Evoldi on the game

With the win, the Red Sox moved a game closer to the Rays, and now trail Tampa Bay by 4 games.

The Red Sox and Rays play the final game of the 3-game series Thursday afternoon with the pregame starting at 3:10 and 1st pitch at 4:10 on AM 1370 WDEA.