Littell allows 1 hit in 7 innings and Rays beat Red Sox 2-0

ST. PETERSBURG. Fla. (AP) — Zack Littell allowed one hit over seven innings and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Boston Red Sox 2-0 on Thursday night.

Littell (8-9), who made his team-leading 28th start in his first full season as starter, struck out seven and did not issue a walk. After Edwin Uceta pitched a perfect eighth, Garrett Cleavinger worked a 1-2-3 ninth to get his sixth save in seven chances.

“I don’t think we could have predicted the amount of success, the workload,” Cash said of Littell. “Just how much day-in and day-out giving us chances to win.”

Nick Sogard's two-out single in the third was Boston's only hit of the game.

Boston starts a three-game series at Fenway Park against Minnesota on Friday, trailing the Twins and Detroit by four games for the final AL wild card. The Red Sox would also need to jump over Seattle. The Rays are five games out of the third wild-card position.

“Uphill battle, it’s tough,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “Realistically it’s very tough. But we have three games against (the Twins).”

Both the Red Sox and Rays have nine games remaining.

Boston has gone 22-35 since the All-Star break.

The Rays need to go 2-1 or better this weekend against Toronto in their final home series of the season to have an eighth consecutive winning record at home.

“I don’t think there’s anything glaring other than at the end of the day we just have not performed like we’re capable of,” Cash said.

Brandon Lowe drove in a run with a third-inning sacrifice off Brayan Bello (14-8). Bello gave up one run, five hits, two walks and struck out seven over 5 2/3 innings.

Dylan Carlson made it 2-0 on a run-scoring grounder in the seventh.

Boston slugger Rafael Devers went 0 for 3 with three strikeouts. He was hitless in 11 at-bats, including eight strikeouts, in the series.

“Right now, collectively, we’re slumping,” Cora said. “Same thing has been happening for a month and half.”

TRAINER'S ROOM

Red Sox: Closer Kenley Jansen, who has had some shoulder-lat issues, threw before the game after getting his 27th save on Wednesday and is fine … RHP Lucas Sims (right lat) was reinstated from the 15-day IL. … RHP Luis García (right elbow inflammation) could be back in the next few days.

Rays: Shane McClanahan (Tommy John surgery) is looking forward to throwing to hitters for the first time next Thursday. “It’s exciting,” McClanahan said, “I miss it. Miss it to death,”

UP NEXT

Red Sox: Face Minnesota RHP David Festa (2-6, 5.07 ERA) on Friday night. Boston has not announced its starter.

Rays: LHP Tyler Alexander (6-5, 5.58 ERA) will start or follow an opener Friday night against Toronto RHP José Berríos (16-9, 3.44 ERA). Berríos is 7-0 with an 1.51 ERA over his last seven starts.

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

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Brayan Bello (66) celebrates with teammates after being taken out of the game against the Tampa Bay Rays during the sixth inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Jose Siri makes a catch on a fly out by Boston Red Sox's Tyler O'Neill during the seventh inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Boston Red Sox's Masataka Yoshida, of Japan, flies out to Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Jose Siri during the seventh inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Rays' Taylor Walls, left, celebrates with first base coach Michael Johns after his single off Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Zach Penrod during the seventh inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Rays' Taylor Walls (6) steals second base as the throw gets away from Boston Red Sox second baseman Nick Sogard during the seventh inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Rays' Taylor Walls scores in front of Boston Red Sox catcher Danny Jansen on a ground out by Dylan Carlson during the seventh inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers, right, throws out Tampa Bay Rays' Yandy Diaz at first base on a ground ball during the fifth inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Rays' Jose Siri celebrates his single off Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Brayan Bello during the third inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Rays' Jose Siri, right, scores ahead of the throw to Boston Red Sox catcher Danny Jansen on a sacrifice fly by Brandon Lowe during the third inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Brayan Bello delivers to the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Rays' Zack Littell pitches to the Boston Red Sox during the first inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Zack Littell delivers to the Boston Red Sox during the first inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin woman accused of stabbing her classmate to please horror character Slender Man more than a decade ago asked a judge again Friday to release her from a psychiatric hospital.

Morgan Geyser, who is now 22 years old, filed a petition with Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren seeking her release from the Winnebago Mental Health Institute. The petition marks the third time in the last two years she has asked Bohren to let her out of the facility.

She withdrew her first petition two months after filing it in 2022. Bohren denied her second request this past April, saying she remains a risk to the public.

The one-page petition doesn't include any arguments for Geyser's release. Instead, it cites state laws that require Bohren within 20 days to appoint at least one expert to examine her and produce a report within 30 days of being appointed. The petition also requests the judge schedule a hearing, noting that state law requires him to hold one within 30 days of receiving the examiner's report.

Geyser's attorney, Anthony Cotton, didn't immediately respond to email and telephone messages Friday morning.

Geyser and Anissa Weier were 12 in 2014 when they lured Payton Leutner to a Waukesha park after a sleepover. Geyser stabbed Leutner 19 times while Weier egged her on. Leutner barely survived.

The girls later told investigators they wanted to earn the right to be servants of the fictional Slender Man and that they feared he would harm their families if they didn’t carry out the attack.

Geyser pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree intentional homicide and was sent to the psychiatric institute because of mental illness. Weier pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree intentional homicide and was also sent to the psychiatric center. She was granted a release in 2021 to live with her father and was ordered to wear a GPS monitor.

FILE - Morgan Geyser is led out Waukesha County Circuit Court after day one of a motion hearing, April 10, 2024, in Waukesha, Wis. (Scott Ash/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel via AP, File)