Rookie Marcelo Mayer homers twice to help Red Sox hold off Rays 4-3

BOSTON (AP) — Rookie Marcelo Mayer hit two of Boston’s four solo home runs and the Red Sox outlasted the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 on Wednesday night.

Abraham Toro added a go-ahead homer in the fifth inning, and Jarren Duran also hit one to help Boston earn its second series win over the Rays this season.

Walker Buehler (5-4) allowed three runs off six hits over seven innings and struck out seven to earn his fifth victory since coming off the injured list on May 20. Aroldis Chapman pitched a scorelless ninth to get his 12th save.

Yandy Díaz had a two-run homer for Tampa Bay. Zack Littell (6-6) lasted six innings, yielding eight hits and striking out six.

It was just the third time in 19 games that a Rays starter has allowed more than three earned runs in 19 games.

The Red Sox needed their bullpen to get out of a late jam.

With Boston leading 4-3 with one out in the eighth, Tampa Bay loaded the bases. But Greg Wiessert struck out Matt Thaiss to end the threat.

Key moment

After Duran opened the game with a first-pitch homer, Mayer added his own in the second inning, hooking Littell’s slider 418 feet over the wall in the right field corner.

Two innings later, Marcelo hit his second of the day, this time roping a 410-foot fastball from Littell that landed in nearly the same spot as his first.

Key stats

At 22 years and 181 days old Mayer is the youngest Red Sox player to have a multi-homer game since Rafael Devers in 2018.

Up next

LHP Garrett Crochet (6-4, 2.35 ERA) gets the ball when the Red Sox open a three-game series with the visiting New York Yankees on Friday.

RHP Taj Bradley (4-5, 3.95) opens the Rays’ three-game series in New York on Friday against the Mets.

___

More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/MLB