Crochet gets 1st career shutout and complete game as Red Sox beat Rays for 9th straight win

BOSTON (AP) — All-Star Garrett Crochet pitched a three-hitter with nine strikeouts for his first career shutout and complete game, leading the Boston Red Sox past the Tampa Bay Rays 1-0 on Saturday for their ninth straight victory.

Carlos Narváez drove in the lone run for the Red Sox, who matched their longest winning streak since April 2021.

The 26-year-old Crochet (10-4), a second-time All-Star, opted not to pitch in the game on Tuesday in Atlanta so he could rest his arm for the second part of the season. He didn’t walk a batter in his 100-pitch gem.

The Rays have lost 10 of 13 and are 2-7 on a 10-game road trip.

Boston goes for the four-game series sweep Sunday.

Wearing their yellow alternate jerseys, the Red Sox scored in the fourth when rookie Roman Anthony doubled to right and scored when Narváez singled under shortstop Taylor Wells’ glove.

Shane Baz (8-5) was the tough-luck loser, giving up the run in 6 1/3 innings with five hits, three strikeouts and two walks.

Key moment

With runners on the corners and the Rays trailing 1-0 in the sixth, Ha-Seong Kim attempted a suicide squeeze. First baseman Abraham Toro charged and made a throw falling to the ground to catcher Narváez, who tagged Wells’ arm just before his hand touched the plate. The Rays challenged but the call stood.

Key stat

Boston’s Ceddanne Rafaela’s streak of recording an RBI in seven straight games and scoring a run in eight was snapped. The last Red Sox player to have both an RBI and score in seven straight was Hall of Famer Ted Williams in 1942.

Up next

Rays RHP Ryan Pepiot (6-6, 3.32 ERA) is scheduled to face Red Sox RHP Brayan Bello (4-3, 3.42) in the series finale Sunday.

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

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