Boston Red Sox at Tampa Bay Rays

Griffin Jax got the ball for Tampa Bay instead of Freddy Peralta, and he delivered exactly what a rested Rays staff needed — 5 shutout innings, three hits allowed, and a bases-loaded jam in the fifth he escaped by striking out Roman Anthony. Patrick Sandoval took the loss for Boston, walking two batters to open the game before Jonny DeLuca's two-run double and Chandler Simpson's two-run single put Tampa Bay up 4-0 before the Rays had even taken the field.

FINAL

Spread

WIN

Total

Red Sox

(84-72)

LLWWL

1

+1.5-178+127o7.5-106

Rays

(95-60)

WWLWW

5

-1.5+149-150u7.5-112

Griffin Jax, not Freddy Peralta, took the ball for Tampa Bay and delivered 5 shutout innings, while a four-run first off Patrick Sandoval put the game away before Boston could respond. Trevor Story's ninth-inning homer was the Red Sox's only answer in a 5-1 loss that leaves Boston still without a clinched playoff spot.

Red Sox

• +Story's 9th-inning homer broke up the shutout bid
• +Sandoval retired 21 of his next 23 after rocky 1st
• −Walked two batters, gave up 4 runs before recording an out
• −Bases-loaded 5th rally died on a Roman Anthony strikeout

Rays

• +Jax worked 5 shutout innings, 5 K's, 3 hits allowed
• +Batted around in a 4-run 1st via DeLuca, Simpson
• −Offense went quiet, scored just 1 run over final 8 innings
• −Bullpen surrendered the shutout on Story's 9th-inning solo shot

Boston played the finale without Willson Contreras, who sat out with a hand injury, and closer Aroldis Chapman was never an option while managing a lat issue. Sandoval settled in after that ugly first, retiring 21 of his next 23 batters and working into the seventh, but the hole was already too deep against a club that had locked up its playoff spot days earlier.

Brayan Bello

(6-7)·4.49 ERA

Sep 7 vs Angels

W

5.0IP

0ER

7K

2BB

103P

09/19 Lineup

Freddy Peralta

(9-11)·4.56 ERA

Sep 13 vs Astros

W

5.0IP

0ER

4K

3BB

86P

09/19 Lineup

Victor Mesa Jr. took Sandoval deep in the fourth for the only other run of the game before Trevor Story broke up the shutout bid with a ninth-inning solo homer, his fifth, off reliever Ty Johnson. It was Boston's lone extra-base hit on an afternoon spent chasing a deficit that was set in the first nine batters.

The Polymarket chat ran about 1.5 times a typical Rays crowd, with traffic peaking in the final stretch of the game as Story's homer flashed across the board. "Boston wants to clinch today," one poster holding Boston wrote in the room — a hope that ran into a four-run first inning it never recovered from.

Boston Red Sox

(84-72)

09/20L@Rays1-5

09/19L@Rays1-2

09/18W@Rays4-2

09/17W@Rangers4-3

09/16L@Rangers3-7

Tampa Bay Rays

(95-60)

09/20WvsRed Sox5-1

09/19WvsRed Sox2-1

09/18LvsRed Sox2-4

09/17WvsAthletics10-1

09/16WvsAthletics4-3

Boston's shorthanded bullpen picture mattered less with the game already decided — Chapman never got summoned, and the only run he might have protected came off a reliever further down the depth chart with the outcome long since sealed.

Boston Red Sox

(15)

• Day-To-DayWillson Contreras (1B) — Contreras (hand) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rays, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.09/20
• Day-To-DayAroldis Chapman (RP) — Chapman (lat) will not pitch this weekend but is expected to return during the team's final homestand next week, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.09/19
• 10-Day-ILCeddanne Rafaela (CF) — Rafaela (quadriceps) is with Triple-A Worcester on Thursday and will do some hitting off their Trajekt machine, Tommy Cassell of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette reports.09/17
• 10-Day-ILCurtis Mead (3B) — Mead (wrist) will begin hitting off a tee Wednesday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.09/15
• 10-Day-ILAnthony Seigler (2B) — The Red Sox placed Seigler on the 10-day injured list Sunday due to right wrist inflammation.09/13
• 10-Day-ILEli White (CF) — Boston placed White on the 10-day injured list with a right foot ligament injury Friday, retroactive to Sept. 9.09/11
• 10-Day-ILMasataka Yoshida (DH) — Interim manager Chad Tracy revealed Tuesday that Yoshida has a "significant" left hamstring injury that will keep him out until close to the end of the season, at minimum, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.08/18
• 15-Day-ILJustin Slaten (RP) — Interim manager Chad Tracy said Tuesday that Slaten (elbow) will not return from the injured list this season, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.09/15
• 60-Day-ILGarrett Crochet (SP) — Crochet (shoulder) threw a two-inning side session Saturday, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.09/20
• 60-Day-ILTanner Houck (SP) — Houck (elbow) allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits while striking two over 3.1 innings for Triple-A Worcester on Saturday.09/20
• 60-Day-ILJohan Oviedo (SP) — Ovideo (elbow) allowed one run on two hits and one walk while striking out four for Triple-A Worcester on Thursday.09/18
• 60-Day-ILKutter Crawford (SP) — Crawford (forearm) is expected to remain on the injured list for the rest of the season, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.09/07
• 60-Day-ILEduardo Rivera (SP) — The Red Sox recalled Rivera from Triple-A Worcester and placed him on the 60-day injured list Tuesday due to a lumbar strain.09/01
• 60-Day-ILTriston Casas (1B) — Casas (abdomen/knee) underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left wrist Thursday.08/06
• 60-Day-ILZack Kelly (RP) — The Red Sox recalled Kelly (elbow) from Triple-A Worcester and placed him on the 60-day injured list Tuesday, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.07/21

Tampa Bay Rays

(8)

• 15-Day-ILGarrett Cleavinger (RP) — Cleavinger (forearm) is expected to resume mound work Saturday, MLB.com reports.09/19
• 15-Day-ILTyler Wells (RP) — The Rays placed Wells on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with right forearm tightness.09/15
• 15-Day-ILShane McClanahan (SP) — Rays manager Kevin Cash said recently that McClanahan (forearm) has resumed playing catch but still has "a long way to go" before returning to the active roster, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.09/15
• 15-Day-ILManuel Rodriguez (RP) — Rodriguez (back) is expected to join Triple-A Durham for a rehab assignment Sunday, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.09/12
• 60-Day-ILGavin Lux (LF) — Lux (shoulder) has resumed full baseball activity, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.09/11
• 60-Day-ILEdwin Uceta (RP) — Uceta (shoulder) is playing catch from 75 feet, per MLB.com.08/15
• 60-Day-ILJonathan Heasley (RP) — Heasley was returned to the major-league roster and placed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with a right elbow stress reaction.06/08
• 60-Day-ILRyan Pepiot (SP) — Pepiot will undergo surgery on his right hip May 13 and miss the rest of the 2026 season, Ryan Bass of Rays.tv reports.05/08

Tampa Bay closes the set 2-1 with its own bullpen holes never tested, while Boston heads into its final week still chasing the number that actually decides its season — a playoff berth, not a series score.