BOSTON -- Remember this day. Thanks in large part to Mookie Betts, the Boston Red Sox ended their four-game losing streak Tuesday with a 2-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Betts hit two solo home runs over the Green Monster to give starter Rick Porcello all the offense he needed as he shut out the Rays through seven innings Tuesday night to earn his third win of the season.
The game was Betts’ first multi-homer performance of his career, giving him four homers on the season. Betts’ first home run had come on Opening Day at Fenway Park, where he also stole the show with two stolen bases and a great catch in the outfield.
How it happened: While Porcello maneuvered around several scoring chances for the Rays in the first five innings, Tampa Bay starter Drew Smyly simply shut down the Red Sox’s offense.
He coasted through each inning, walking two and allowing a runner to reach on an error but never giving up a hit. It looked like David Ortiz would at least get extra bases on a shot to center in the fourth, but Kevin Kiermaier leaped just in front of the 420-foot marker in the triangle to reign the drive in.
Then stepped up Betts to lead off the sixth, launching a slider from Smyly over the Monster to give the Red Sox their first hit and run of the game. In the eighth inning, Betts led off with a homer again, this time on a first-pitch fastball from Ernesto Frieri, to give the Red Sox their second run of the contest.
At 22, Betts is the youngest Red Sox player with a multi-homer game since Jim Rice, who did it twice in 1975. Rice was in the crowd Tuesday night, as the Red Sox honored the 40th anniversary of the 1975 pennant-winning team with a pregame ceremony on the field (more on that below).
After Porcello’s seven strong innings, Alexi Ogando pitched a scoreless eighth before Koji Uehara shut the Rays down in the ninth to earn his fifth save of the season.
1975 team honored: Prior to first pitch, the Red Sox held a ceremony on the field to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the 1975 team that lost to the Cincinnati Reds in Game 7 of the World Series.
Twenty-six members of the team took part in the event, which started with Carl Yastrzemski taking the field from the Green Monster in left and ended with Carlton Fisk -- whose iconic Game 6 home run waved fair forced a Game 7 -- coming onto the field to meet the rest of his teammates in the middle of the diamond.
Luis Tiant threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Fisk, a repeat of the team’s starting battery in Game 6.
As part of the celebration, the Red Sox donned throwback uniforms Tuesday night, complete with high socks and stirrups to give the game that authentic, old-school feel.
Up next: Justin Masterson (2-0, 4.71 ERA) will look to keep the good times rolling for the Red Sox as he faces Rays right-hander Alex Colome (1-0, 0.00) Wednesday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET.
