ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Trevor Story homered in the sixth inning then scored the winning run on Jarren Duran’s single in the eighth as the Boston Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 2-1 on Wednesday night.
Story opened the eighth with a comebacker single off Drew Rasmussen (0-2). After stealing second and third, he scored when Duran grounded his hit to right past a drawn-in infield.
“That’s fun,” Story said. “I feel like that’s the type of baseball we can play.”
Boston had dropped nine of its previous 10 road games.
Justin Slaten (6-2) worked out of a first-and-third, no-out jam in the seventh for the win and Kenley Jansen, the fifth Red Sox reliever, worked the ninth for his 27th save in 31 chances.
Jansen was checked out after walking Austin Shenton on four pitches with two outs, but remained in the game. He also walked Taylor Walls but struck out Logan Driscoll on a 3-2 pitch to end it.
“He’s been dealing with some shoulder stuff,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “It felt like he was favoring it or whatever you want to call it. I checked with him, (and) he’s like ‘I am good to go.’ We’ll know more tonight or tomorrow and we’ll see where we’re at.”
Boston moved within four games — while Tampa Bay remained six back — of Minnesota for the final AL wild card. The Red Sox and Rays both have 10 games left and also would have to overtake Seattle and Detroit.
The Red Sox start a three-game series with the Twins on Friday night at Fenway Park.
Boston had only one baserunner against Ryan Pepiot before Story tied it at 1-all with a leadoff homer in the sixth.
Pepiot struck out a career-high 12 in six innings. He struck out the side on nine pitches in the fifth for the fourth immaculate inning in team history and the first since José Alvarado did it against Milwaukee on Aug, 4, 2017.
“You have got to have some pretty good stuff going that night to do that,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “These hitters are really good, and he had it going.”
Pepiot allowed one run and two hits after being pulled in his previous start on Sept. 12 after two innings in a precautionary move because his velocity was down.
“I think I felt the same today as I did last one,” Pepiot said. “Ball was just coming out (today). So, I really don’t have any better answer than that.”
Rays left fielder Christopher Morel made a leaping catch at the wall to take away an extra-base hit from Triston Casas with two on and two out in the seventh.
Walls’ second-inning RBI single off Tanner Houck put the Rays up 1-0.
Houck gave up one run, four hits and struck out four over four innings in his first start since Sept. 4. The right-hander was on a pitch count after being slowed by right shoulder fatigue.
“I felt good,” Houck said. “I felt strong.”
Houck plans to make his final two starts of the regular season.
“This year is not done by any means,” Houck said. “We’ve got some meaningful games to play and continue this push. We know we’ve got a little bit of hole to dig out of. I trust everybody in the locker room are going to show up and do the right thing.”
UP NEXT
Rays RHP Zack Littell (7-9, 3.73 ERA) will start Thursday night’s series finale. RHP Brayan Bello (14-7, 4.60) will start for the Red Sox.
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