Crawford allows big league-high 34th homer, 16th loss, Rays beat Red Sox 7-2

BOSTON (AP) — Kutter Crawford allowed his major league-high 34th home run, a go-ahead drive by Junior Caminero, and took his big league-worst 16th loss when the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Boston Red Sox 7-2 Saturday.

“Command was off today. He didn’t have feel for the four-seamer,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “So, a lot of cutters. He’s very efficient if he attacks the zone. Today he was erratic.”

Caminero had three RBIs for the Rays (80-81), who with a series sweep would avoid their first losing season since 2017. Caminero and Brandon Lowe had three hits each.

“I felt good,” Caminero said through a translator. “Go out there, play my game that I know how to pay. Things are working out for me right now. And just being consistent, that’s the key for me.

Shane Baz (4-3) won his third straight start, allowing two runs and three hits in six innings with seven strikeouts, one walk, two hit batters and a run-scoring wild pitch.

“Very encouraged with the way he finished it,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “He looked good today. Limited damage. Did a nice job of being super efficient, even with the home run in the first inning. The swings and misses that they took, the efficiency. I think you respect the fact that he’s got nasty stuff. Guys don’t want to get deep in an at- bat with him, and that works in his favor if he’s throwing strikes like he was.”

Crawford (9-16) gave up six runs, five hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings with six strikeouts, finishing with a 4.36 ERA. His 33 starts tied for the major league lead.

“Not very good,” Crawford said. “Didn’t have a whole lot of feel for the fastball, so I had to use the cutter a lot, but overall, just not a very good outing.”

Tristan Casas’ 13th homer put Boston ahead in the first.

Caminero gave the Rays a 2-1 lead with a two-run homer in the third off Crawford (9-16) following Yandy Díaz’s walk,

Tampa Bay opened a 6-1 lead in the fifth on consecutive one-out singles by Díaz, Brandon Lowe, Caminero and Jonathan Arando, the last two driving in runs. Josh Lowe hit a two-run single off Greg Weissert.

Red Sox center fielder Jarren Duran doubled up Josh Lowe at first base in the fourth on Jose Siri’s flyout. Durran began the day with 11 assists, tied for the major league lead among outfielders.

Boston finished 8-7 this year in its yellow City Connect uniforms, a tribute to Patriots Day weekend and the Boston Marathon. The Red Sox are 20-10 in the yellow jerseys since the start of 2023.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rays: INF José Caballero, who was hit on the side of his lower left leg by a pitch in the seventh inning of Friday’s game, was out of the starting lineup. Caballero, who entered Saturday leading the American League with 44 stolen bases, underwent an X-ray, which was negative.

UP NEXT

Rays RHP Ryan Pepiot (8-7, 3.64 ERA) starts Sunday’s season finale. RHP Quinn Priester, a 24-year-old acquired from Pittsburgh at the trade deadline for infielder/outfielder Nick Yorke, likely will make his Red Sox debut. Taken 18th overall in the 2019 amateur draft, Priester was 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA in nine starts at Worcester and 4-2 with a 4.38 ERA overall in 16 Triple-A starts this year.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Maureen Mullen, The Associated Press