Renfroe belts 2 HRs to propel Rays in rout of Red Sox

[August 14, 2020]  Hunter Renfroe slugged a pair of home runs to help the Tampa Bay Rays notch a four-game series sweep with a 17-8 romp over the host Boston Red Sox on Thursday.

It was the first time in club history that the Rays scored at least eight runs in all four games of a series, and they set a new mark by totaling 42 runs in that span.

Their sixth straight win overall increased their record to 13-1 at Fenway Park since August 2018. They also had a four-game sweep in Boston from April 16-19, 2010.

The Rays hit .364 with nine home runs in the series on the way to their first four-game sweep in eight years.

Manuel Margot produced his second four-hit game of the series, and Willy Adames had three hits, two runs and two RBIs. Renfroe tallied three RBIs and three runs on three hits. Brandon Lowe added a homer, three RBIs and three runs, and Mike Zunino popped a three-run shot and drove in four.

Jalen Beeks (1-1) earned the win after replacing starter Tyler Glasnow to start the fifth inning. Anthony Banda collected his first career save.

Jose Peraza and Jonathan Arauz had two hits, but Arauz made one of Boston's four errors -- third baseman Rafael Devers committed three throwing -- that led to five total unearned runs. Michael Chavis went 2-for-2 with a triple.

Boston starter Kyle Hart (0-1) made his major league debut with two-plus innings and allowed seven runs (five earned). He gave up seven hits and three walks and struck out four.

Glasnow struggled in the home first as Boston scored three times on Devers' RBI single and Kevin Plawecki's two-run double.

Renfroe launched a two-run homer by ripping a shot out to right center, and Lowe blasted his fifth homer to right four pitches later to make it 5-3. Tampa Bay added two more runs in the five-run frame.

Arauz drove in a run in the third, but the visitors scored three unearned runs aided by a pair of errors by Devers to make it 10-4 in the fourth.

Renfroe and Zunino both homered in a six-run sixth against reliever Marcus Walden as the Rays batted around for the second time.
 

Shortstop Peraza pitched in the ninth but left after taking a line drive off his right leg. He was relieved by catcher Plawecki, who retired two of the three batters he faced and later added a third RBI.

--Field Level Media

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