Vaughn Grissom hit an RBI double and scored a run, helping Boston win 3-1 against Tampa Bay on Sunday in their last game of the season, securing third place in the AL East ahead of the Rays.
The Red Sox ended the season with a record of 81-81, missing the playoffs for the third year in a row, which hasn’t happened since 2010-2012. Boston had a record of 78-84 in the last two seasons.
“It’s disappointing that we didn’t make it, especially the way the season went the last month and a half, not only with us but around the league,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said before the game. “We had a chance.”
The Rays finished the season at 80-82, ending a five-year streak of making the playoffs. They had a strong record of 99-63 in 2023, marking their first losing season since 2017.
“I mean, look, not where we want to be,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. “Know that we’ve got some work to do. I’m confident we will work very hard this offseason and certainly going into spring training to find a way to be playing a little deeper.”
Dylan Carlson had three singles and an RBI for Tampa Bay.
Boston honored longtime radio announcer Joe Castiglione with a special pregame ceremony. The 77-year-old called his final game Sunday after serving as the team’s lead radio voice since 1983.
He received the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame this summer.
Before the eighth inning, the team showed a montage of his highlights on the scoreboard. After it ended, all the Red Sox players came out of the dugout to applaud him in the booth behind home plate.
“The players coming out … that would be up there,” he said about what moment touched him the most.
Right-hander Quinn Priester, recalled from Triple-A Worcester before the game, made his Red Sox debut, allowing one run on four hits over five innings. He was acquired from Pittsburgh for minor league infielder Nick Yorke on July 29.
Justin Slaten secured the last three outs for his second career save.
