Palacios has RBI single in the 9th to give the Rays a 2-1 victory over the Red Sox

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Richie Palacios dropped a fly ball into shallow right in the ninth inning to score Junior Caminero and give the Tampa Bay Rays a 2-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Saturday.

Tampa Bay, which has three walk-off wins on its current homestand, lowered its magic number to clinch the AL East to five games. The second-place Yankees are in Arizona on Saturday night.

Prior to Palacios' single, the Rays were 0 for 17 with runners in scoring position over the first two games of the series. The postseason-bound Rays, who’ve won seven of their last eight, capitalized on two fortuitous bounces in the ninth.

First, Caminero’s foul popup bounced off the Tropicana Field catwalk and out of the reach of third baseman Caleb Durbin. Caminero then lined the next pitch from Garrett Whitlock (7-2) into left. Three batters later, after Chandler Simpson singled, Connor Wong's passed ball moved Caminero to third.

The Red Sox squandered a prime opportunity in the top of the ninth.

Facing closer Bryan Baker (4-2) in a tie game, Boston got Caleb Durbin's double and Jarren Duran's triple. However, Nick Fortes threw out Durbin stealing third and Caminero made a stellar play at third base to retire Isiah Kiner-Falefa, stranding Duran.

Boston also wasted a phenomenal effort from starter Brayan Bello, who matched a career high with 11 strikeouts. In eight innings, he allowed five hits, one run and no walks. Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman (lat tightness) was unavailable.

The Red Sox took a 1-0 lead with bookend doubles from Durbin and Roman Anthony in the third inning. Trevor Story extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a sixth-inning single.

Jonathan Aranda tied it with an opposite-field solo homer on the first pitch of the Rays’ fourth.

The Rays are an MLB-best 25-14 in one-run games.

RHP Griffin Jax (7-10, 3.80 ERA) gets the nod for the Rays on Sunday in the series finale. Boston had not announced a starter.

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Tampa Bay Rays' Richie Palacios, left, celebrates his walkoff single off Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Whitlock with Nick Fortes during a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Rays' Richie Palacios celebrates his walkoff single off Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Whitlock during the ninth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Rays' Junior Caminero, right, celebrates after his single off Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Whitlock during the ninth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Rays' Chandler Simpson celebrates after his single off Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Whitlock during the ninth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Rays' Richie Palacios, front, gets doused by Taylor Walls after Palacios hit a walk off single off Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Whitlock during the ninth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

NEW YORK (AP) — Carson Benge had three hits to break Pete Alonso's Mets season rookie record, homering along with Francisco Alvarez as New York again prevented the Philadelphia Phillies from gaining ground in the NL wild card race with a 10-3 win Saturday.

Benge raised his hits total to 156, one more than Pete Alonso in 2019.

Alec Bohm had a pair of run-scoring singles and Bryce Harper delivered a sacrifice fly for the Phillies (85-70), who entered Saturday tied with the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres for the three NL wild cards, five games ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Alvarez’s three-run homer off Andrew Painter (3-10) put the Mets ahead for good in the fifth.

Benge doffed his cap to an ovation from the crowd of 37,468 following the record-breaking hit, an RBI infield single in the eighth.

Painter and Mets starter Christian Scott both attended Calvary Christian Academy in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Scott was in the class of 2018 and Painter in the class of 2021.

Painter allowed four runs and four hits with seven strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings, leaving him with a 5.59 ERA.

Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio each had an RBI in the sixth and the Mets added four runs in the eighth off Orion Kerkering. Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto and Bo Bichette all had RBIs before Benge’s milestone hit.

Kerkering has given up nine runs in 4 1/3 innings over four appearances this month.

Lindor went 0 for 4 and remained at 299 career homers.

Jefry Yan (2-1) got four outs in relief of Christian Scott, who gave up three runs and struck out seven in 4 2/3 innings. Scott has allowed four runs or fewer in all 32 big league starts.

RHP Jonah Tong (2-1, 3.43 ERA) starts the Mets’ home finale Sunday against Phillies LHP Cristopher Sánchez (17-6, 2.93 ERA). Rain is forecast.

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Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Andrew Painter reacts after giving up a home run to New York Mets' Carson Benge during the second inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

New York Mets' Carson Benge, right, hugs announcer Steve Gelbs as he gets doused with Gatorade after breaking the Mets rookie season record for hits in New York, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

New York Mets' Carson Benge, right, reacts after hitting a home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the second inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

New York Mets' Carson Benge, right, hugs announcer Steve Gelbs, left, as he gets doused with Gatorade after breaking the Mets rookie season record for hits in New York, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)