December 6, 2025

Red Sox win 10th straight, sweep Rays as Ceddanne Rafaela homers

BOSTON (AP) — Ceddanne Rafaela hit a two-run homer, Brayan Bello pitched one-run ball into the seventh inning and the

Boston

Red Sox extended their winning streak to 10 games with a 4-1, series-sweeping victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.

Ceddanne Rafaela’s 5th HR of the month of July!

Are the

@RedSox

headed for a TENTH straight win?

pic.twitter.com/IFTGwMd1qj

— MLB (@MLB)

July 13, 2025

Rafaela, who hit a walk-off, two-run homer for Boston on Friday, hit his 14th homer of the season in the sixth inning. Trevor Story added a go-ahead single in the sixth.

Boston last had a 10-game win streak in July 2018 and heads into the All-Star break in third place in the competitive AL East, behind Toronto and the New York Yankees.

Tampa Bay’s Chandler Simpson extended his hitting streak to 16 games, a club record for a rookie. The Rays lost for the 11th time in 14 games and closed out their road trip to Minnesota, Detroit and Boston with a 2-8 record.

The 26-year-old Bello (6-3) gave up six hits, struck out five and didn’t issue a walk over 6 1/3 innings. He was coming off his first nine-inning complete game in his previous start. All-Star Aroldis Chapman struck out the final three batters for his 17th save.

Boston moved ahead 1-0 when Rays third baseman Junior Caminero was called for obstruction with his foot blocking the bag on a pickoff play, allowing Marcelo Mayer to score.

The Rays snapped an 18-inning scoreless stretch in the fourth inning, tying the game on Josh Lowe’s sacrifice fly.

Ryan Pepiot (6-7) gave up four runs, three earned, in six innings.

Rafaela hit a 3-2 fastball in the sixth from Pepiot that sailed just over the Green Monster, bouncing off a tabletop in the front row, after Story’s run-scoring single.

Story is successful in 16 steal attempts this season. The last Red Sox player to open a season going 16 for 16 was Jacoby Ellsbury in 2008.

Rays RHP Taj Bradley (5-6, 4.60 ERA) is slated to start Friday at home against Baltimore after the All-Star break.

The Red Sox have not announced a start for the team’s series opener in Chicago on Friday. RHP Collin Rea (7-3, 3.91) is set for the Cubs.

Sign up for Red Sox updates⚾

Get breaking news and analysis delivered to your inbox during baseball season.

Avatar photo

Janet Trew

Janet Trew is a seasoned writer with over five years of experience in the industry. Known for her ability to adapt to different styles and formats, she has cultivated a diverse skill set that spans content creation, storytelling, and technical writing. Throughout her career, Janet has worked across various niches, from US news, crime, finance, lifestyle, and health to business and technology, consistently delivering well-researched, engaging, and informative content.

View all posts by Janet Trew →

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *