Zack Littell pitched seven innings and allowed just one hit as the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Boston Red Sox 2-0 on Thursday night.
Littell (8-9) made his team-leading 28th start in his first full season as a starter, striking out seven batters without giving up a walk. After Edwin Uceta pitched a perfect eighth inning, Garrett Cleavinger finished the game with a quick ninth, earning his sixth save in seven attempts.
“I don’t think we could have predicted the amount of success, the workload,” Cash said about Littell. “Just how much day-in and day-out giving us chances to win.”
Boston’s only hit came from Nick Sogard, who had a two-out single in the third inning.
The Red Sox will begin a three-game series at Fenway Park against Minnesota on Friday, trailing the Twins and Detroit by four games for the final AL wild card. They also need to pass Seattle. The Rays are five games behind the third wild-card position.
“Uphill battle, it’s tough,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “Realistically it’s very tough. But we have three games against the Twins.”
Both teams have nine games left in the season. Since the All-Star break, Boston has a record of 22-35.
The Rays need to win at least two out of three games this weekend against Toronto in their final home series of the season to achieve an eighth straight winning record at home.
“I don’t think there’s anything glaring other than at the end of the day we just have not performed like we’re capable of,” Cash said.
Brandon Lowe drove in a run with a sacrifice in the third inning off Brayan Bello (14-8). Bello allowed one run, five hits, two walks, and struck out seven in 5 2/3 innings.
Dylan Carlson made it 2-0 with a run-scoring groundout in the seventh. Boston slugger Rafael Devers went 0 for 3 with three strikeouts, making him hitless in 11 at-bats, with eight strikeouts in the series.
“Right now, collectively, we’re slumping,” Cora said. “Same thing has been happening for a month and a half.”
