ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Ji-Man Choi, Brandon Lowe and Willy Adames homered during Tampa Bay’s six-run fourth inning, and the Rays moved into sole possession of the second AL wild card by rallying for a 7-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Monday night.
The Rays hold a half-game lead over Cleveland, which had the day off.
The announced attendance was 8,779.
Boston slugger J.D. Martinez drove in a run to become the ninth player in franchise history to have at least 35 homers and 100 RBI in multiple seasons. The list also includes David Ortiz, Jim Rice, Carl Yastrzemski and Ted Williams.
Jhoulys Chacín held the Rays hitless until one out in the fourth. After Austin Meadows and Travis d’Arnaud hit consecutive singles, Choi connected for a three-run drive.
Lowe had a solo shot that ended Chacin’s night and Adames’ two-run homer off Bobby Poyner (0-1) put the Rays ahead 6-4.
Tampa Bay went up 7-4 on Avisail Garcia’s sixth-inning RBI double. He was thrown trying for a triple on a great on-the-fly throw from the right-field corner by Mookie Betts.
Colin Poche, the ninth Tampa Bay pitcher, struck out pinch-hitters Christian Vazquez and Xander Bogaerts with two on in the ninth for his second save. Austin Pruitt (3-0) worked one inning.
Chacin allowed four runs and four hits over 3 2/3 innings. Between Milwaukee and Boston this season, the right-hander has given up 22 homers in 100 2/3 innings.
After scoring once in both the second and third, Rafael Devers and Martinez hit RBI singles in the fourth. Devers has 113 RBI.
Rays lefty Blake Snell struggled in his second start since surgery to remove bone chips in his throwing elbow on July 29, giving up one run and two hits in 1 2/3 innings. The 2018 AL Cy Young Award winner threw 29 of 52 pitches for strikes.
HONORS
Meadows and right-hander Charlie Morton were voted co-winners of the Don Zimmer award as the Rays MVP by members of the Tampa Bay chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: OF Andrew Benintendi (jammed left thumb) was available off the bench. … RHP Heath Hembree (right elbow inflammation) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list and pitched a perfect seventh.
Rays: Garcia (vertigo-type symptoms) missed the three previous games.
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