Rays Get Just 3 Hits Off Boston's Garrett Crochet, Lose 1-0 to Fall Further in East

The Tampa Bay Rays' offense fell victim to a complete game by Boston Red Sox All-Star left-hander Garrett Crochet in a 1-0 shutout loss on Saturday. The defeat was the third in the four-game series, which concludes Sunday at Fenway Park in Boston.

Crochet would not allow the Rays to get anything going in the first complete game and first shutout of his career. Crochet struck out nine batters while allowing no walks and only three hits. Of his 100 pitches, 72 were strikes.

"He attacks, he filled up the strike zone," Rays manager Kevin Cash said after the loss. "I looked up in the sixth or seventh inning, and he had almost 80 percent strikes. A really good pitcher that had everything going today."

The win was the ninth straight for the Red Sox, who now stand 1.5 games ahead of the Rays and in third place in the American League East.

Tampa Bay's pitchers did their job. Right-hander Shane Baz went 6.1 innings, striking out five and allowing the only run of the game, and Edwin Uceta struck out four batters in 1.2 innings. Highlight plays from third baseman Curtis Mead and right fielder José Caballero stopped any offensive momentum from Boston.

In a game with razor-thin margins, two of the defining plays came down to Rays shortstop Taylor Walls.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, a chopper off the bat of catcher Carlos Narváez got under Walls' glove, resulting in an RBI single as Walls pounded the ground in anger.

In the top of the sixth inning, with a chance to even the score, Walls was thrown out at home plate by Boston first baseman Abraham Toro after a bunt by second baseman Ha-Seong Kim.

Shrouded in frustration, Walls blamed himself for losing momentum when trying to get to home plate.

"He did a hell of a job to stick with it and get the bunt down, but my momentum kind of stopped," Walls said. "So by the time he got the bunt down, I kind of had to start going, and that little split second of stopping my momentum and trying to get it back is the difference in being safe by a foot and a half or out."

"If I do what I'm supposed to do, I'm safe 100% of the time."

Walls had no interest in giving himself any grace about the RBI single by Narváez, either.

"That ball has to be caught. Baz shouldn't have given up a run, should've been 0-0 the whole way," Walls said.

Walls said he wasn't sure what happened on the play.

"I still don't know if it went under my glove, overran it, whatever the case may be. I just missed it, a play that I make 100 out of 100 times."

Knowing the kind of player Walls is, Baz said the infielder shouldn't be too hard on himself.

"It was a hard hit ball, kind of in no man's land," Baz said. "I think he's got some leeway to play with, as many plays as he makes."

Like Walls, Baz shoulders the blame.

"It's a tough play, and it happens. Gotta get the strikeout next time."

The Rays, now 50-46, are 4-11 in their past 15 and look to enter the All-Star break on a high note as they close the series Sunday at 1:35 p.m. ET at Fenway Park. Tampa Bay's Ryan Pepiot (6-6, 3.32) will face Boston right-hander Brayan Bello (5-3, 3.27) in a clash of right-handers.