Betts, Moreland homer in 8th, Red Sox beat Rays 6-4

Mookie Betts and Mitch Moreland hit back-to-back homers for the go-ahead runs in the eighth inning and the struggling Boston Red Sox beat the MLB-best Tampa Bay Rays 6-4 on Friday night.

With the game tied at 4, Betts hit a leadoff shot off Diego Castillo (0-2) and Moreland connected three pitches later.

Christian Vazquez also homered and Brandon Workman (1-1) went 1 2/3 scoreless innings for the Red Sox, who are 7-13 and trail the AL East-leading Rays by seven games. Ryan Brasier worked the ninth to pick up his fourth save.

Boston Red Sox's Mookie Betts pumps his fist as he runs around the bases after hitting a home run off Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Diego Castillo during the eighth inning of a baseball game Friday, April 19, 2019, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP PhotoChris O'Meara)

The Rays are the last team in the majors to have consecutive losses this season. Castillo was also the loser in a 6-5, 11-inning loss to Baltimore on Thursday night.

After 20 games last season, the eventual World Series champion Red Sox (17-3) were 10 games up on Tampa Bay (7-13).

Daniel Robertson, mired in an 0 for 21 slide, got the Rays even at 4-all with a two-run double during the sixth. The inning was setup when Boston third baseman Rafael Devers misplayed what looked a double-play grounder from Avisail Garcia with one on and no outs.

Boston Red Sox's Mitch Moreland watches his home run off Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Diego Castillo during the eighth inning of a baseball game Friday, April 19, 2019, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP PhotoChris O'Meara)

Devers had a run-scoring double in the fifth for Boston's first hit before Vazquez put Boston ahead 3-2 on his two-run shot to center.

Vazquez has three homers and eight RBIs in his last five games.

Betts, hitless in his previous 12 at-bats, doubled in the sixth and scored as the Red Sox grabbed a 4-2 lead when J.D. Martinez extended his hitting streak to nine games with an RBI single.

Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Ryan Brasier, right, and catcher Christian Vazquez celebrate after closing out the Tampa Bay Rays during the ninth inning of a baseball game Friday, April 19, 2019, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP PhotoChris O'Meara)

Martinez has a hit in 19 of 20 games this season.

Brandon Lowe hit his fifth homer in the last nine games, a solo drive that just cleared the fence at the 322-foot mark down the right-field line in the second before Garcia's third-inning RBI triple as the Rays went up 2-0.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Boston Red Sox's Mitch Moreland, right, celebrates his home run off Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Diego Castillo with third base coach Carlos Febles (52) during the eighth inning of a baseball game Friday, April 19, 2019, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP PhotoChris O'Meara)

Red Sox: 2B Dustin Pedroia was examined by doctors Thursday and it was determined that his latest left knee injury is not serious. "We're just going to let it calm down for a few days and then it should be all right," Pedroia said. He was hurt in Boston's game Wednesday night and went on the 10-day IL on Thursday.

Rays: Ace Blake Snell (fractured right fourth toe) will have a bullpen session Saturday. "He continues to heal really quickly, which we're very encouraged about," manager Kevin Cash. ... C Mike Zunino went on the paternity list.

SPECIAL DELIVERY

Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Diego Castillo (63) reacts after being taken out during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Friday, April 19, 2019, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP PhotoChris O'Meara)

Boston GM Dave Dombrowski and manager Alex Cora presented Rays LHP Jalen Beeks with his 2018 World Series ring. Beeks appeared in two games last season with the Red Sox before being traded to Tampa Bay July 25 for RHP Nathan Eovaldi.

UP NEXT

Red Sox RHP Rick Porcello (0-3, 11.12 ERA) and Rays RHP Charlie Morton (2-0, 2.18 ERA) are Saturday night's starters. Porcello is 8-5 with a 2.86 ERA in 15 road starts against Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay Rays' Daniel Robertson lines a two-run double off Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez during the sixth inning of a baseball game Friday, April 19, 2019, in St. Petersburg, Fla. Rays' Austin Meadows and Avisail Garcia scored. (AP PhotoChris O'Meara)

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Boston Red Sox's J.D. Martinez lines an RBI-single off Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Wilmer Font during the sixth inning of a baseball game Friday, April 19, 2019, in St. Petersburg, Fla. Boston's Mookie Betts scored. (AP PhotoChris O'Meara)

Boston Red Sox's Christian Vazquez, right, celebrates his two-run home run off Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Ryan Yarbrough with Rafael Devers during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, April 19, 2019, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP PhotoChris O'Meara)

Xander Bogaerts had three hits and scored twice in the first five innings Friday night and the Boston Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3.

Wander Franco, Tampa Bay's 21-year-old shortstop, had the first multi-homer game of his career.

Michael Wacha (1-0) gave up two runs on three hits, including Franco's two homers, in five innings to get his first win for Boston.

Boston Red Sox's Enrique Hernandez hits an RBI-single against the Tampa Bay Rays during a baseball game Friday, April, 22, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP PhotoScott Audette)

Matt Barnes got Franco on a groundball for his first save after Jake Diekman walked the bases loaded with two outs in the ninth.

Trevor Story, Bogaerts, Alex Verdugo and Kiké Hernandez hit four of Corey Kluber's first 14 pitches for singles, spotting the Red Sox a 2-0 lead.

Kluber (0-1) gave up four runs on 11 hits in five innings.

Boston Red Sox's Rafael Devers, right, celebrates with third base coach Carlos Febles after hitting a home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Friday, April, 22, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP PhotoScott Audette)

Franco's homer made it 2-1 in the bottom of the first. Rafael Devers led off the third inning with his third homer of the season for Boston. Bogaerts followed with a double and scored on Hernandez's single to make it 4-1.

Franco homered leading off the fifth, and shortstop Bogaerts' second error of the game helped the Rays score another run in the seventh.

It was the second straight three-hit game for Bogaerts, who is hitting .385.

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Corey Kluber waits for a new ball after giving up a home run to the Boston Red Sox during the third inning of a baseball game Friday, April, 22, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP PhotoScott Audette)

TRAINER'S ROOM

Red Sox: J.D. Martinez was out of the lineup for a second straight game after leaving Wednesday's game in the third inning with left adductor tightness. ... Manager Alex Cora is not with the team after testing positive for COVID-19 on Thursday.

Rays: C Francisco Mejía tested positive and was placed on the COVID-19 injured list. ... RHP Chris Mazza was placed on the 10-day IL with back spasms. ... C René Pinto and LHP Colin Poche were recalled from Triple-A Durham.

Tampa Bay Rays' Wander Franco watches his home run during the fifth inning of the team's baseball game against the Boston Red Sox on Friday, April 22, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP PhotoScott Audette)

UP NEXT

Red Sox RHP Garrett Whitlock (1-0, 0.93 ERA), who has made 50 relief appearances for Boston over the last two seasons and earned a save on Tuesday, will get his first major league start Saturday night. The Rays will go with an opener.

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Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Michael Wacha walks around the mound after giving up a home run to Tampa Bay Rays' Wander Franco during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, April 22, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP PhotoScott Audette)