Kiermaier, Margot lead Rays to 8-7 victory in slugfest with Red Sox

Kevin Kiermaier laced a double that rattled off of the Green Monster in the seventh inning on Monday night. It drove in two runs, broke a tie and gave the Rays an 8-7 win over the Red Sox.

Both teams exploded offensively with a combined 15 runs on 28 hits. Manuel Margot had four hits for the Rays, leading everyone.

Red Sox strike first, Rays fight back

Ryan Yarbrough started the game for the Rays, still seeking his first win. The Red Sox took advantage of the struggling starter and scored three in the first.

Then, J.D. Martinez whacked his first home run of the year in the bottom of the third. Boston grabbed a 4-1 lead as the ball cleared the Green Monster in left.

Slowly, the Rays began to come back. After scoring a pair in the fourth, Joey Wendle knotted the game at four, with a triple in the fifth.

Finally, Tampa Bay took the lead as Ji-Man Choi poked a single down the right-field line with two outs. All of a sudden, the Rays had a 5-4 edge.

You’ve just been Choi’ed pic.twitter.com/149eSDozq8

— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) August 11, 2020

Kiermaier, Margot deliver late

The Red Sox did not go away quietly. Shortly after the Rays took the lead, Boston tied the game at five in the bottom of the sixth.

Cue Kiermaier. His booming double put Tampa Bay ahead, 7-5.

Margot added a much-needed insurance run in the eighth. His fourth hit was an RBI double to deep left.

Later, Jonathan Arauz sent a two-run single into center to bring the Red Sox within one. Arauz recorded his first-career hit and first three-hit game all in one night.

However, the Red Sox fell just shy of tying the game. Andrew Kittredge shut the door for the Rays in the ninth for his first career save.

Next game

The two sides square off tonight at 7:30 as the Rays look to take the series. Tampa Bay (9-8) earned its first road win of the season Monday night.

Kittredge (0-0, 2.35 ERA) takes the hill for the Rays. Boston (6-10) sends Martin Perez (2-1, 3.45 ERA) to the mound. Perez beat the Rays in his last start.