The Tampa Bay Rays clobbered the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night, 13-3, keeping their hopes alive in the race for one of the two AL Wild Card spots. Tampa Bay is currently 6½ games back.
The Rays knocked Boston starter Daisuke Matsuzaka out of the game in just three innings, taking him for five runs on nine hits. They weren't much nicer to the Boston bullpen, getting four runs on three hits from Alfredo Aceves; three runs on one hit when Desmond Jennings hit a triple off Daniel Bard and scored on an error by Pedro Ciriaco; and capping it off with one more in the eighth off Chris Carpenter.
Jeff Keppinger and Matt Joyce were the leaders at the plate. Keppinger was 3-for-4 and Joyce was 2-for-3, with both men collecting two RBIs.
Chris Archer picked up the win for the Rays, the first of his major-league career. He pitched five innings, giving up three runs on five hits while striking out six and walking four. Jake McGee, Brandon Gomes and Dane De La Rosa combined to hold the Red Sox without a hit for the rest of the game.
The Rays are 1-2 in their four-game series against Boston. Game 4 is scheduled for Friday at 7:10 p.m. ET.
Stick with this StoryStream for more from the Rays vs. Red Sox series. For more insight and analysis, check out Rays blog DRays Bay.
