The Red Sox showed exactly why the lineup just hasn’t been good enough all season long. The group made the wrong kind of history in Wednesday’s matinee loss as the Tampa Bay Rays completed the sweep.
Boston is 12 games under .500 as the season swirls further away from the team’s control.
Here’s three takeaways from Wednesday’s loss.
FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS! (Yikes)
Drew Rasmussen completely carved the Red Sox lineup from start to finish in the series finale. Tampa Bay’s right-hander had thrown the ball well(entered with 3.00 ERA in 12 starts) and took it to a new level against the AL East counterpart.
Rasmussen set a career high with 13 strikeouts in seven scoreless innings with just two hits allowed. Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu all struck out in each of the first three turns of the order, marking the first time the top three hitters in an MLB lineup have done that since 1901, per the NESN broadcast.
Boston’s dugout rejoiced when Tampa Bay went to the bullpen to start the eighth inning. Clearly the Red Sox found an opportunity.
Caleb Durbin did hit a 415-foot solo shot for his first home run off of a non-position player in the eighth inning. Boston’s third baseman is up to .278 in his last 10 games and hit another solo homer in the ninth. Later in the frame, Ceddanne Rafaela took a massive cut against former teammate Steven Matz for a three-run blast to left field.
Despite the late rally, Boston still struck out a glaring 15 times in the game.
JAKE BENNETT CAN BE SERVICEABLE
Boston’s No. 6 prospect (MLB Pipeline) returned for his third MLB start and struck out two in the first inning with five swings-and-misses.
Bennett struck out four in five innings. The four earned runs on his line could’ve been cut down had Isiah Kiner-Faleka not misplayed a potential double play ball that should’ve ended the starter’s final frame.
NOT SO WELCOME BACK TO THE TROP
The Red Sox actually had a decent run at Tropicana Field the last season they visited in 2024 at a 4-2 clip.
Boston previously went a combined 2-15 in St. Petersburg in 2022 and 2023. The Red Sox fell back into those struggles this week and will return for another clash with the Rays from Sept. 18-20.
