Rick Porcello took the mound for the Red Sox in a key series against the Rays, hoping to snap a rough stretch of starts. He came into the game with a string of shaky outings, including lines like five innings with six earned runs and a couple of better but still shaky appearances. Porcello started this one with some signs of life, striking out Austin Meadows after giving up a leadoff double to Ji-Man Choi, but Travis d’Arnaud continued to be a problem, driving in a run with a single to center. Porcello limited the damage to just one in the first, but frustrations boiled over later.
After the inning, cameras caught Porcello venting in the dugout, slamming his left hand into a TV. Though it might have looked like a spark of passion, it didn’t change the course of his performance. He went 5.2 innings and gave up six earned runs, continuing a slump that’s dragged down Boston’s chances in the wild card race. The Red Sox’s bullpen didn’t provide much relief either, and with their bullpen cameras now removed, maybe it’s just as well fewer eyes are on that group. The loss dealt another hit to Boston’s playoff hopes, while Tampa got another big divisional win.