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Make it a dozen: Red Sox rally for 7-6 victory over Rays for 12th straight win

BOSTON (AP) — Wilyer Abreu hit two home runs – the second a go-ahead, two-run shot in the seventh inning that gave him four homers in two games — and the Boston Red Sox rallied for a 7-6 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday to extend their winning streak to 12 games.

Abreu also hit two in the nightcap of a doubleheader sweep Friday.

Victor Mesa Jr. had a go-ahead, two-run homer and Jonny DeLuca added a solo shot for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Abreu’s shot off Garrett Cleavinger (2-3) capped a four-run inning that wiped out a 6-3 deficit. Ceddanne Rafaela had an RBI double and Masataka Yoshida had a run-scoring ground out in the inning.

Ryan Watson (1-0) pitched two innings for his first major league victory and Aroldis Chapman got the final three outs for his 21st save.

Trailing 3-2 in the fourth, the Rays jumped ahead with three runs. Mesa Jr. hit his homer into Tampa Bay’s bullpen and Yandy Díaz added an RBI single.

DeLuca’s homer over the Green Monster made it 6-3 in the seventh.

Making his second start after missing last season recovering from Tommy John surgery, Boston’s Patrick Sandoval gave up five runs in five innings.

Tampa Bay took a 2-0 edge in the second when Ryan Vilade scored on second baseman Seigler’s throwing error and Nick Furias had an RBI single, but Jahmai Jones’ two-run homer tied it in the bottom half after Andruw Monasterio correctly challenged a called 3-2 strike that would have ended the inning.

Rays starter Ian Seymour lasted just three innings, allowing three runs and two homers after giving up a career-high tying six runs in his previous start.

Up next

Rays LHP Shane McClanahan (8-5, 2.83 ERA) was set to face RHP Sonny Gray (11-1, 2.54) in the series finale Sunday.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Make it a dozen: Red Sox rally for 7-6 victory over Rays for 12th straight win | iNFOnews.ca
Boston Red Sox’s Jahmai Jones celebrates after his two-run home run in the second inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Saturday, July 18, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Make it a dozen: Red Sox rally for 7-6 victory over Rays for 12th straight win | iNFOnews.ca
Tampa Bay Rays’ Ian Seymour, right, prepares for the next batter as Boston Red Sox’s Wilyer Abreu, back left, rounds the bases on a solo home run in the third inning of a baseball game, Saturday, July 18, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Make it a dozen: Red Sox rally for 7-6 victory over Rays for 12th straight win | iNFOnews.ca
Tampa Bay Rays’ Yandy Díaz, right, is tagged out by Boston Red Sox’s Carlos Narváez, left, while trying to score on a double hit by Jonny DeLuca in the fourth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, July 18, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

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