BOSTON (AP) — Jeremy Hellickson’s last start of the season was a disappointing finish.
Hellickson was knocked out in the third inning, and the Tampa Bay Rays went on to an 11-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Thursday night.
“It’s definitely not how I wanted to end the season,” Hellickson said, shaking his head.
Hellickson (1-5) was charged with six runs, five earned, and eight hits in 2 1-3 innings. He struck out two and walked none while throwing 64 pitches.
The right-hander was pulled with two runners on, and Boston rookie Rusney Castillo connected on Steve Geltz’s first pitch for his first career homer.
“It just got away quickly,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “There’s a lot of fight in our guys. When you keep getting down that severely, it makes it more difficult.”
Christian Vazquez also hit his first career homer for the Red Sox, who took two of three in the series. Vazquez finished with a career-best four hits and drove in three runs, and Mookie Betts had three of Boston’s 16 hits.
Evan Longoria had two singles for the Rays, who lost for the fifth time in seven games.
“We had a couple opportunities, a couple of splashes, but that was it,” Maddon said. “They, on the other hand, hit the ball really well.”
Boston’s Allen Webster (5-3) pitched seven innings of one-run ball in his best start since he joined the rotation in late July. The rookie right-hander struck out five and walked one.
Vazquez’s two-run homer bounced off a billboard above the Monster, lifting the Red Sox to a 3-1 lead in the second.
Daniel Nava’s sacrifice fly gave Boston a 1-0 edge in the first before Ben Zobrist’s RBI single in the second tied it.
BIG HITTERS
Maddon said he was impressed with the hitting display by Boston’s young lineup, but noted the circumstances of the series late in the season for the two clubs at the bottom of the AL East.
“They’re nice, but they haven’t seen our best pitchers,” Maddon said. “The throttle’s a little bit more full, more looser this time of year.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rays: Maddon said SS Yunel Escobar, who sprained his left knee Tuesday and was sent to Florida for an MRI, only has a bruise, but he’s done for the remainder of the season because the MRI was “bad enough that he can’t play anymore.”
UP NEXT
The Rays are slated to open a three-game series Friday in Cleveland with RHP Chris Archer (10-8, 3.42 ERA) facing Indians RHP Corey Kluber (17-9, 2.53 ERA). The Red Sox face the Yankees for the final three games of the season, starting Friday. RHP Steven Wright (0-0, 3.38 ERA) makes his first start of the season for Boston. Former Red Sox LHP Chris Capuano (2-4, 4.67 ERA) is scheduled to go for New York.
ALL-STAR SERIES REPLACEMENT
Farrell was selected to manage the major league team in the All-Star series in Japan, replacing former Texas manager Ron Washington, who resigned from his job with the Rangers in early September. The major league stars will face Japan’s national team in a five-game series.
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