Tampa Bay’s Francisco Mejia celebrates after his double off Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Nick Pivetta in the fifth inning Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. Chris O’Meara/Associated Press
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Yonny Chirinos pitched three spotless innings in relief to win his first major league outing in two years Wednesday night, leading the Tampa Bay Rays to a 1-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox.
Taylor Walls drove in the only run with an infield single in the fifth, and the Rays won for the eighth time in nine games. They lead the American League wild-card race are five games behind the first-place Yankees in the AL East.
New York was trying for a doubleheader sweep of Minnesota on Wednesday night.
Chirinos (1-0), who had Tommy John surgery following his previous appearance for the Rays on Aug. 16, 2020, struck out four and got the win. He gave up four hits and a walk.
Pete Fairbanks pitched the ninth for his sixth save in six attempts.
Boston starter Nick Pivetta (9-11) went to full counts on 10 of the first 13 hitters he faced, but did not give up a hit until Francisco Mejia led off the fifth with a double. After Mejia advanced on a ground ball, Walls hit a bouncer into a shifted infield and beat it out, driving in the run.
Walls, the Rays’ light-hitting shortstop, had two of Tampa Bay’s four hits and stole a base.
Rays starter Jeffrey Springs gave up one hit in three innings.
The Red Sox stranded nine runners and lost for the 12th time in 16 games against the Rays.
NOTES: OF Franchy Cordero (severely sprained right ankle) was placed on the 60-day injured list and OF Abraham Almonte was called up from Triple-A Worcester. … SS Xander Bogaerts, who left Tuesday night’s game with back spasms, was out of the lineup for cautionary reasons. … RHP Nathan Eovaldi, sidelined since Aug. 12 due to right shoulder inflammation, threw a bullpen.
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