Verdugo, Chavis homer to back Pérez as Red Sox beat Rays 5-0

Martín Pérez pitched out of trouble all night, and Alex Verdugo and Michael Chavis homered to help the Boston Red Sox stop a four-game skid Wednesday with a 5-0 victory over the slumping Tampa Bay Rays.

Pérez (2-1) allowed four hits and three walks, wiggling out of jams for five innings. He struck out four.

The left-hander held Tampa Bay to 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position and induced two double-play grounders. The Rays had a man on second with no outs in both the first and fourth.

Tampa Bay Rays catcher Mike Zunino, right, looks down as Boston Red Sox's Michael Chavis (23) and Alex Verdugo, center, celebrate Verdugo's two-run home run off Rays starter Ryan Yarbrough during the fourth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP PhotoSteve Nesius)

Colten Brewer, Austin Brice, Matt Barnes and Brandon Workman completed a four-hitter.

Tampa Bay has dropped six of seven, scoring 18 runs during that stretch. The Rays (5-7) have trailed in 11 of 12 games this season, including their last 10.

Verdugo added to his success against left-handed pitching with a two-run homer off Ryan Yarbrough (0-2) that opened the scoring in the fourth. The left-handed hitter is 38 for 115 (.330) when facing a lefty since the start of the 2019 season.

Boston Red Sox's Michael Chavis celebrates after hitting a two-run home run off Tampa Bay Rays starter Ryan Yarbrough during the sixth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP PhotoSteve Nesius)

Christian Vazquez had an RBI single and scored on Chavis’ shot in the sixth that put Boston (4-8) up 5-0.

Chavis finished 3 for 4.

Yarbrough gave up five runs and eight hits in five-plus innings.

Yandy Diaz had two hits for the Rays.

Tampa Bay Rays catcher Mike Zunino, left, and starter Rtyan Yarbrough, center, talks with pitching coach Kyle Snyder on the mound during the sixth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP PhotoSteve Nesius)

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: Third base coach Carlos Febles, who didn’t make the trip after an inconclusive coronavirus test, had a negative test.

Rays: LHP Brendan McKay (coronavirus) threw a two-inning simulated game at the alternate training site.

Boston Red Sox's Christian Vazquez hits a RBI-single off Tampa Bay Rays starter Ryan Yarbrough during the sixth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP PhotoSteve Nesius)

UP NEXT

Red Sox: After a day off Thursday, the Red Sox start a three-game home series against Toronto on Friday night.

Rays: LHP Blake Snell takes the mound Friday night in the first of a four-game set against the AL East-leading New York Yankees. “There’s no better feeling than beating the Yankees,” Snell said. There will be a pair of seven-inning games in a doubleheader Saturday.

Tampa Bay Rays right fielder Hunter Renfroe looks up as a two-run home run hit by Boston Red Sox's Alex Verdugo clears the fence during the fourth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP PhotoSteve Nesius)

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Boston Red Sox right fielder Alex Verdugo comes up short as he leaps for a double off the wall hit by Tampa Bay Rays' Yandy Diaz during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP PhotoSteve Nesius)

Tampa Bay Rays starter Ryan Yarbrough pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP PhotoSteve Nesius)

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)