Rays lose lead in opener, rally late in nightcap for split with Red Sox

BOSTON — Jose Siri stood in a corner of the Rays’ clubhouse Saturday night recapping the previous 12 hours.

“Long day,” he said, via team interpreter Manny Navarro. “Cold day. Very rainy.”

But thanks to Siri and teammate Harold Ramirez, it had an exciting ending.

With Ramirez delivering a two-run double in the top of the ninth inning, and Siri making a running, diving and game-ending catch in centerfield, the Rays won the second half of Saturday’s day/night doubleheader with the Red Sox, 4-2. That win felt even better given how they lost the matinee, as Jalen Beeks let a three-run, sixth-inning lead get away and turn into an 8-5 loss.

“I really just want to go home and go to sleep,” Ramirez said.

With the split, the Rays’ major-league leading record stood at 41-19; they are now 12-12 since their 29-7 start.

The Rays also have some medical matters to be concerned with.

Shortstop Wander Franco, who went 3-for-5 in the opener, has an issue with his left hamstring, evident as he noticeably slowed from second to third in the seventh inning of the opener. He finished that game, but did not play as expected in the nightcap and is considered day-to-day with his availability for Sunday unclear.

Outfielder/DH Luke Raley was scratched from the lineup for the opener after he said an MRI showed a mild strain in the intercostal muscle in his right side. He said he felt okay swinging and hopes to return to action Sunday.

Outfielder Manuel Margot provided a major scare when he crashed into the centerfield wall in the fourth inning of the second game and went down hard as his right elbow jammed into his rib cage. Rays officials raced to his aid and signaled for a cart. Margot said the issue initially was that “I couldn’t breathe,” but he felt better and stayed in.

The Rays took a 1-0 lead in the nightcap, which started with temperatures in the 40s and light rain, when Margot led off the third with a double and came around on two ground outs. The Sox tied it in the fourth when Masataka Yoshida doubled off Tyler Glasnow and scored on the ball Tristan Casas hit to deep centerfield that led Margot to run into the wall.

The Rays went back ahead in the sixth when Siri had his first big moment, a pinch-hit double off ex-Rays lefty Ryan Sherriff to score Ramirez, who led off with a double and stole third.

But a misplay in the seventh by second baseman Brandon Lowe on a pop-up, in what appeared to be swirling winds, allowed the Sox to get even as Conner Wong, who drew a one-out walk from reliever Colin Poche, came around to score as the ball dropped in.

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Having wasted repeated scoring chances (going 3-for-16 with runners in scoring position), the Rays took the lead back in the ninth against Kenley Jansen, the 35-year-old closer the Sox used in both games. Francisco Mejia and Yandy Diaz led off with singles, moved up a base each on Lowe’s flyout and scored when Ramirez, who had a five-hit day, lashed a double to right-center.

“Harold had a big day,” manager Kevin Cash said.

Rays fill-in closer Jason Adam got two quick outs in the ninth, then hit Rafael Devers and walked Yoshida. Jarren Duran hit a fly to shallow center and Siri, positioned deep, went all in to either make the catch or potentially allow two runs to score if he missed.

“Since I have the legs and have the speed, I always have the ability, a little bit extra, to make a play like that,” Siri said. “So I was confident about that.”

And when he realized he made it, and celebrated animatedly: “I felt like I had gotten four hits.”

Added Ramirez: “That’s the play of the game. If he doesn’t catch that ball, maybe we’re going to have a problem.”

With his start pushed back a day after Friday’s rainout, Glasnow gave the Rays a solid outing Saturday night in his second game since coming off the injured list; he worked into the sixth inning, allowing one run on four hits, striking out six.

Glasnow said he felt off mechanically and didn’t have his usual fastball, evidenced as he averaged 94.9 mph compared to 96.5 last Saturday, and his last three pitches clocked at 95, 94 and 93 mph. “More of kind of like a grind today,” he said.

In the opener, the Rays let a 4-1 sixth-inning lead get away.

With Josh Fleming the latest pitcher sidelined by injury, the Rays planned somewhat of a group pitching effort. Opener Trevor Kelley and rookie Joe LaSorsa did well to get them to the sixth ahead, but Beeks, one of the more experienced members of their patched-together bullpen, faltered again.

“Fleming going down created a little bit of a unique situation,” Cash said. “I think Joe and Trevor did a nice job of keeping it right there. There was some traffic but it felt like we made a big pitch when we needed to. But we probably turned the lineup over too many times.”

Beeks, who has had somewhat of an up-and-down season, allowed most of the damage as the Red Sox scored six in the inning.

“Very frustrating,” Beeks said. “We were up in Fenway, obviously want to get the win, and then I just blow it and just shoot our chances of winning that game. It’s really frustrating. It’s just not a great feeling. But I’m going to keep battling and I’m just ready to get back out there already.”

Diaz had the biggest hit as the Rays took the 4-1 lead, before the Sox did their damage.

Beeks got one quick out, then allowed a run on a single, a walk and a single. After striking out Verdugo, he walked Devers to load the bases. Justin Turner then laced a double off the Green Monster that scored three, giving the Sox the lead. Beeks allowed another run on a double by Yoshida. Cooper Criswell then took over and allowed an RBI single to Duran to make it 7-4.

“Pitching is count control. If you can control the count and get ahead of guys, you’ve giving yourself a better chance for success,” Cash said. “(Saturday) it was a challenge for (Beeks). I agree, there’s been some inconsistencies. He’s certainly done good things for us. But (Saturday) it kind of just unraveled.”

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