ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Xander Bogaerts had two hits in the Boston’s seven-run 15th inning Friday night and the Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 13-6 in a game that lasted 6 hours and 5 minutes.
Austin Pruitt (7-5) walked Jackie Bradley Jr. to lead off the top of the 15th. Bogaerts followed with a single. Dustin Pedroia hit a ground ball that was misplayed by second baseman Brad Miller, allowing Bradley to score the lead run.
Andrew Benintendi, Mitch Moreland, Deven Marraro and Bogaerts drove in extra runs for the Red Sox, who maintained their three-game lead over the New York Yankees in the AL East.
Bogaerts reached base five straight times.
Brandon Workman (1-1) got the win. Blaine Boyer, the 21st pitcher to appear in the game, pitched the 15th for Boston.
Nine Red Sox pitchers set a club record with 24 strikeouts.
Rafael Devers drove in Mookie Betts with single in the 14th to put Boston ahead 6-5, but Kevin Kiermaier led off the bottom of the inning with a home run off Workman to regain a 6-6 tie for the Rays.
Boston rallied for three runs in the ninth off Rays closer Alex Colome to tie the game, a rally cut short by Kiermaier’s diving catch of a line drive hit by Bradley with two men on base.
Kiermaier also leaped to the top of the centre field wall to take an extra-base hit away from Betts leading off the 10th.
Wilson Ramos hit two home runs for the Rays, including a long two-run shot off Chris Sale in the fourth.
Ramos’ homer off Sale came after a walk to Trevor Plouffe and put the Rays up 3-2. He added an opposite-field homer, his ninth of the season, off reliever Matt Barnes in the eighth to make it 5-2.
Adeiny Hechavarria also homered off Sale, his seventh of the season.
Moreland’s solo homer off Rays starter Matt Andriese, his 15th of the season, had given a Boston a 2-1 lead in the fourth.
Sale gave up four runs, six hits and three walks while striking out nine in 5 2/3 innings.
It was the first game at Tropicana Field since Hurricane Irma stormed through the Tampa Bay area late Sunday night. A three-game series scheduled earlier this week against the Yankees was moved to Citi Field in New York.
CASE CLOSED?
Dave Dombrowski, president of baseball operations for the Red Sox, said the fine levied on the club Friday for using electronic equipment to steal signs was "pretty much what we had thought," and said he hoped the matter was closed. "There won’t be any internal fines," Dombrowski said. "The topic’s been discussed internally and addressed, and I’m sure it will not happen again."
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: DH Hanley Ramirez missed a second straight game and was scheduled for an MRI on his left shoulder. … INF Eduardo Nunez is showing encouraging signs while recovering from a knee injury, according to manager John Farrell, and might return to the lineup during the current road trip.
Rays: RHP Jake Faria was activated after missing 25 games with a left abdominal strain. The rookie, who has started 13 games, will be in the bullpen until further notice.
UP NEXT
RHP Rick Porcello, who was 5-0 against the Rays on his way to winning the Cy Young Award last season, is 1-4 against them going into Saturday night’s start.
RHP Alex Cobb, who won at Boston on Sunday, will pitch for Tampa Bay.
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