BOSTON (AP) — Ceddanne Rafaela hit a two-run homer, Brayan Bello pitched one-run ball into the seventh inning and the Boston Red Sox extended their winning streak to 10 games with a 4-1, series-sweeping victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.
Rafaela, who hit a walk-off, two-run homer for Boston on Friday, hit his 14th homer of the season in the sixth inning. Trevor Story added a go-ahead single in the sixth.
Boston last had a 10-game win streak in July 2018 and heads into the All-Star break in third place in the competitive AL East, behind Toronto and the New York Yankees.
Tampa Bay’s Chandler Simpson extended his hitting streak to 16 games, a club record for a rookie. The Rays lost for the 11th time in 14 games and closed out their road trip to Minnesota, Detroit and Boston with a 2-8 record.
The 26-year-old Bello (6-3) gave up six hits, struck out five and didn’t issue a walk over 6 1/3 innings. He was coming off his first nine-inning complete game in his previous start. All-Star Aroldis Chapman struck out the final three batters for his 17th save.
Boston moved ahead 1-0 when Rays third baseman Junior Caminero was called for obstruction with his foot blocking the bag on a pickoff play, allowing Marcelo Mayer to score.
The Rays snapped an 18-inning scoreless stretch in the fourth inning, tying the game on Josh Lowe’s sacrifice fly.
Ryan Pepiot (6-7) gave up four runs, three earned, in six innings.
Key moment
Rafaela hit a 3-2 fastball in the sixth from Pepiot that sailed just over the Green Monster, bouncing off a tabletop in the front row, after Story’s run-scoring single.
Key stat
Story is successful in 16 steal attempts this season. The last Red Sox player to open a season going 16 for 16 was Jacoby Ellsbury in 2008.
Up next
Rays RHP Taj Bradley (5-6, 4.60 ERA) is slated to start Friday at home against Baltimore after the All-Star break.
The Red Sox have not announced a start for the team’s series opener in Chicago on Friday. RHP Collin Rea (7-3, 3.91) is set for the Cubs.
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