(Reuters) — Yandy Diaz hit a solo home run and had two RBIs as the Tampa Bay Rays ended a two-game losing streak by beating the Boston Red Sox 3-1 Monday night in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Diaz hit Boston’s first pitch of the game over the fence in left for his 12th home run of the season. He also drove in Taylor Walls with a sacrifice fly in the eighth that extended Tampa Bay’s lead to 3-1.
The Rays received five scoreless innings from their bullpen. Tampa Bay starting pitcher Ian Seymour exited the game after four innings with the game tied 1-1, and five Tampa Bay relievers held Boston to three hits the rest of the way.
Casey Legumina (2-1), Tampa Bay’s first reliever, got the win for tossing 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Bryan Baker gave up a hit in the ninth, but earned his 17th save.
Boston starter Connelly Early (5-4) allowed two runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings and took the loss. He walked four and struck out six.
Marcelo Mayer hit a home run for Boston, which was held to four hits in the loss. It was Mayer’s third home run. Boston began the night ranked last among MLB teams in home runs with 48.
Boston’s other three hits were singles. The Red Sox have been limited to 11 runs in their last six losses.
After Diaz homered to open the scoring for the Rays, Boston tied the game on Mayer’s solo homer to right-center field in the third.
Tampa Bay took a 2-1 lead in the fifth. Austin Slater reached first on an infield single, stole second and scored on Jonathan Aranda’s two-out single.
Boston had runners on first and second with one out in the seventh, but Caleb Durbin struck out looking and Isiah Kiner-Falefa grounded out.
The Rays had a two-run advantage after Walls scored in the eighth.
