BOSTON — Mike Napoli was one of the Boston Red Sox many figured would be shipped out of town by the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.
But the veteran first baseman wasn’t moved on a quiet deadline day for the club — and Friday night launched a go-ahead two-out, two-run homer in the seventh inning as Boston pulled out a 7-5 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Napoli, who has had a tough year at the plate, connected on a towering shot into the first row of the Monster Seats at Fenway Park off left-hander Jake McGee (0-1) on a 2-2 pitch. The hit followed a tough two-out walk to DH David Ortiz and came after the Rays had taken the lead with two runs in the top of the inning.
Napoli’s 13th homer of the season made a winner of reliever Junichi Tazawa (2-3), who gave up a two-run double to pinch hitter John Jaso that gave Tampa Bay a 5-4 lead.
Tazawa pitched out of an eighth-inning jam and the Red Sox scored an insurance run in their half on a double by catcher Blake Swihart, a groundout and a wild pitch by right-hander Brandon Gomes.
Koji Uehara worked the ninth for his 23rd save — his 13th straight — as the last-place Red Sox (46-58) won their second straight. He ended the game with a 12-pitch strikeout of catcher Rene Rivera.
Swihart had a two-run single in a three-run first and left fielder Alejandro De Aza stroked a pair of RBI singles off Tampa starter Erasmo Ramirez.
Third baseman Evan Longoria had three hits and left fielder Mikie Mahtook, recalled earlier in the day, added two hits and an RBI for the Rays (51-53).
Rookie left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez worked the first five innings for the Red Sox in a sloppy game that saw the teams combine for five errors and several other shaky plays.
Bad defense and wildness left the score tied 3-3 after three innings.
The Rays scored in the first thanks to two walks by Rodriguez.
The Red Sox came back with three unearned runs in the bottom of the inning. Errors by first baseman Logan Forsythe and second baseman Tim Beckham led to an RBI single by De Aza and Swihart’s two-run hit.
With Mahtook on second via a double and two outs in the Tampa second, center fielder Brandon Guyer struck out but got to first on a Rodriguez wild pitch. Right fielder Steven Souza Jr. then reached on an infield hit thanks to a bad throw by third baseman Josh Rutledge as a run scored.
In the third, shortstop Azdrubal Cabrera singled off Rodriguez’s body and took second when Rodriguez had another smash go off his body but got the out at first. Mahtook singled home the run.
Another Beckham error started the Boston third, but Ramirez pitched around it.
Rodriguez battled through five innings, issuing a career-high four walks and throwing 110 pitches, but the team got him the lead when De Aza came through with a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the fifth. More sloppy infield play by the Rays helped the Red Sox.
NOTES: Red Sox LF Hanley Ramirez (shin) and 3B Pablo Sandoval (wrist) were out of the lineup with injuries sustained Thursday night. … The Rays beat the trade deadline by sending RHP Kevin Jepsen to the Minnesota Twins for minor league RHPs Alexis Tapia and Chih-Wei Hu. They also designated C Bobby Wilson for assignment. He was claimed off waivers by the Texas Rangers. Tampa Bay recalled RHP Kirby Yates and OF Mikie Mahtook from the minors. … Boston acquired RHP Ryan Cook, 0-2 with a 10.38 ERA in four major league appearances this year but an All-Star in 2012, from the Oakland A’s for a player to be named or cash considerations. … Tampa Bay LHP Matt Moore makes his sixth start since returning from Tommy John surgery when he faces Boston’s struggling RHP Joe Kelly on Saturday. Kelly has one major league win since his first start of the season and none since June 6.
Phillies 9, Braves 3
PHILADELPHIA — With one of the best pitchers in franchise history out the door, the Philadelphia Phillies’ focus is squarely on the future.
David Buchanan might not make the City of Brotherly Love forget Cole Hamels, the 2008 World Series MVP. But for one night, at least, the young right-hander helped the crowd of nearly 30,000 gathered at Citizens Bank Park feel a little better about the loss of one of their most beloved players.
Buchanan pitched one of the best games of his young major league career, and got all the backing he would need from the Phillies offense in a 9-3 win over the Atlanta Braves on Friday.
Despite trading away several valuable pieces –including Hamels, center fielder Ben Revere and closer Jonathan Papelbon — over the last few days, the Phillies’ 11-2 record since the All-Star break is the best in the majors.
With a 13-12 mark in July, it’s the first winning calendar month for the Phillies since last August.
It was a rough start to the 2015 season for Buchanan (2-5, 6.44 ERA), who went 0-5 with an 8.76 ERA in five April starts with the big-league ballclub. He started to right himself in the minors, however, and thanks to injuries and trades, he went 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA in three July starts with the Phillies.
Now, he’ll have the chance to prove he belongs for good.
A two-run home run by Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman chased Buchanan after 7 1/3 innings, but the Phillies’ lead was such that it didn’t put much of a damper on his evening.
While Buchanan thrived against the Braves lineup, the Phillies jumped all over Atlanta starter Williams Perez in his return from the disabled list. A three-run double by first baseman Ryan Howard cleared the bases with no outs in the first inning, which ended with the hometown squad up 4-0.
Howard went 2-for-2 with two walks, two runs scored and four RBIs, his first game of the season with four or more RBIs. Right fielder Domonic Brown and second baseman Cesar Hernandez joined him with two hits apiece.
The Phillies finally chased Perez (4-1, 4.14 ERA) during a five-run fifth inning that saw them bat around. A two-run home run by Brown put some significant space between the teams at 6-0, but it was an RBI single by Buchanan that was the last straw for Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez.
After beginning his first major league season 4-0 with a 2.88 ERA, Perez picked up his first career loss, going 4 1/3 innings while giving up nine runs (all earned) on nine hits as Atlanta went down for the fifth game in a row.