BOSTON — The Boston Red Sox’s talented group of rookies did it to the Tampa Bay Rays again Thursday night at Fenway Park.
Starting seven first-year players for the second night in a row, the Red Sox got the first career home runs from catcher Christian Vazquez and center fielder Rusney Castillo and strong pitching from rookie right-hander Allen Webster in an 11-1 victory.
The win gave Boston a 2-1 series win and the 70th victory of the season. That’s one more than the 2012 team won in the disastrous season under manager Bobby Valentine.
John Farrell took over and won the World Series last year and the Red Sox will finish last in the American League East again this year.
Vazquez went 4-for-4 with three RBIs, rookie second baseman Mookie Betts had three hits and an RBI, fellow rookie left fielder Bryce Brentz added two hits and one RBI, Castillo hit a three-run homer and a double, and two other rookies had one hit apiece in a 16-hit attack.
The Red Sox scored 22 runs in the last two games of the series after totaling 10 in the five-game home losing streak they ended Wednesday.
Boston made short work of right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (1-5), with Castillo’s three-run shot capping a four-run third inning — after Hellickson had just left.
Webster, who came to Boston as part of a massive 2012 trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers, worked seven innings and finished his season 2-0 with two no-decisions in his last four starts (5-3 overall). He walked one and struck out five on Thursday.
The rookie homers gave the Red Sox a club-record eight by rookies this season.
Right fielder Daniel Nava’s sacrifice fly for the first out of the bottom of the first inning gave the Red Sox a 1-0 lead, but the Rays got the run right back.
With two outs and nobody on, catcher Ryan Hanigan was hit by a pitch, took second on center fielder Kevin Kiermaier’s single and scored when shortstop Ben Zobrist singled.
Zobrist then stole second, the Red Sox challenged, and the call was overturned.
Vazquez went deep with two out in the second before the Red Sox broke it open and chased Hellickson in the third.
Yoenis Cespedes, the designated hitter with David Ortiz out due to a wrist injury, led a double steal to put runners on second and third with one out. Third baseman Garin Cecchini then hit a grounder to first baseman James Loney, who booted it as a run scored.
That was all for Hellickson. Castillo, who earned his first major league RBI on a bases-loaded walk Wednesday, hit the first pitch from Steve Geltz for a three-run shot.
NOTES: The Elias Sports Bureau, which originally said Wednesday night marked the first time since 1971 the Red Sox started seven rookies in a game, corrected that note — it happened in both 1980 and 1987. … DH David Ortiz (wrist) and 3B Will Middlebrooks (hand) remained out of the Boston lineup and may or may not play this weekend. 1B Mike Napoli (assorted injuries) and INF/OF Brock Holt (concussion) will not return this season. … An MRI on Tampa Bay SS Yunel Escobar’s left knee showed no structural damage, just a bruise. … While it wasn’t known if Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter will play in Boston, knuckleball pitcher Steven Wright opens the final series of the season against New York on Friday night. Meanwhile, RHP Chris Archer opens Tampa Bay’s final series at Cleveland. … Rays C Curt Casali, who sustained a concussion on a foul tip Wednesday, was feeling better but still had grogginess Thursday.