The county voted 5-2 to approve spending about $312.5 million for its share of the ballpark costs from revenue generated by a bed tax that can only be spent on tourist-related and economic development expenses. The St. Petersburg City Council approved spending $417.5 million for the stadium earlier this month.

The $1.3 billion ballpark will guarantee the team stays put for at least 30 years. It’s part of a broader $6.5 billion redevelopment project that supporters say would transform an 86-acre (34-hectare) tract in the city’s downtown, with plans in the coming years for a Black history museum, affordable housing, a hotel, green space, entertainment venues, and office and retail space. There’s the promise of thousands of jobs as well.

“This is so much more than a baseball stadium. It is poised to become, if we do it right, a world-class tourist destination,” said Commissioner Janet Long. “It’s more than about the baseball stadium. It’s a transformational, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,”

The linchpin of the project is the planned roofed stadium, scheduled to open for the 2028 season. It caps years of uncertainty about the Rays’ future, including possible moves across the bay to Tampa, or to Nashville, Tennessee, or even to split home games between St. Petersburg and Montreal, an idea Major League Baseball rejected.

The rest of the project would mainly be funded by a partnership between the Rays and the Houston-based Hines global development company. It will take decades to complete.

The site, where the Rays’ domed, tilted Tropicana Field and its expansive parking lots now sit, was once a thriving Black community displaced by construction of the ballpark and an interstate highway. St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch says one of his priorities is to right some of those past wrongs in what is known as the Historic Gas Plant District.

The Rays typically draw among the lowest attendance in MLB, even though the team has made the playoffs five years in a row. This year, the Rays have a 54-52 record, placing them fourth in the American League East division.

The ballpark plan is part of a wave of construction or renovation projects at sports venues across the country, including the Milwaukee Brewers, Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars and the Oakland Athletics, who are planning to relocate to Las Vegas. Like the Rays proposal, all the projects come with millions of dollars in public funding that usually draws opposition.

A citizen group called No Home Run and other organizations opposed the deal, with the conservative/libertarian Americans for Prosperity contending the track record for other publicly financed sports stadiums is not encouraging.

County Commissioner Chris Latvala said he’s a huge baseball fan and recounted many fond memories of following the Rays, but he still voted against the project.

“I want professional baseball to stay here, I want the Rays to stay here, but at what price?” he said. “This will be a $1 billion publicly funded subsidy to a billionaire. I’m not willing to put my name on that.”

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The $6.5 billion project, supporters say, would transform an 86-acre (34-hectare) tract in the city’s downtown, with plans in the coming years for a Black history museum, affordable housing, a hotel, green space, entertainment venues and office and retail space. There’s the promise of thousands of jobs as well.

The site, where the Rays’ domed Tropicana Field and its expansive parking lots now sit, was once a thriving Black community driven out by construction of the ballpark and an interstate highway. A priority for St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch is to right some of those past wrongs in what is known as the Historic Gas Plant District.

“The city’s never done anything of this scope,” said Welch, the city’s first Black mayor with family ties to the old neighborhood. “It’s a momentous day for our city and county.”

The linchpin of the project is the planned $1.3 billion ballpark with 30,000 seats, scheduled to open for the 2028 season. That would cap years of uncertainty about the Rays’ future, including possible moves across the bay to Tampa, or to Nashville, Tennessee, or even to split home games between St. Petersburg and Montreal, an idea MLB rejected.

Stu Sternberg, the Rays’ principal owner, said approval of the project — which also requires a vote by the Pinellas County Commission — will settle the question of the team’s future location.

“We want to be here. We want to be here to stay,” Sternberg said Wednesday.

The Rays typically draw among the lowest attendance in MLB, even though the team has made the playoffs five years in a row. This year, at this week’s All-Star break, the Rays have a 48-48 record, placing them fourth in the American League East division.

The financing plan calls for the city to spend about $417.5 million, including $287.5 million for the ballpark itself and $130 million in infrastructure for the larger redevelopment project that would include such things as sewage, traffic signals and roads. The city envisions no new or increased taxes.

Pinellas County, meanwhile, would spend about $312.5 million for its share of the ballpark costs. Officials say the county money will come from a bed tax largely funded by visitors that can be spent only on tourist-related and economic development expenses. The county commission is tentatively set to vote on the plan July 30.

The rest of the project would mainly be funded by the Rays and the Houston-based Hines development company.

The ballpark plan is part of a wave of construction or renovation projects at sports venues across the country, including the Milwaukee Brewers, Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans and the Oakland Athletics, who are planning to relocate to Las Vegas. Like the Rays proposal, all of the projects come with millions of dollars in public funding that usually draws opposition.

Although the city’s business and political leadership is mostly behind the deal, there are detractors. Council member Richie Floyd said there are many more ways the ballpark money could be spent to meet numerous community needs.

“It still represents one of the largest stadium subsidies in MLB history. That’s the core of my concern,” Floyd said.

A citizen group called “No Home Run” and other organizations oppose the deal, with the conservative/libertarian Americans for Prosperity contending the track record for other publicly financed sports stadiums is not encouraging.

“The economic benefits promised by proponents of publicly funded sports stadiums fail to materialize time and time again,” said Skylar Zander, the group’s state director. “Studies have consistently shown that the return on investment for such projects is questionable at best, with most of the economic gains flowing to private interests rather than the general public.”

Still, the project seems to have momentum on its side. For former residents and descendants of the Gas Plant District neighborhood, it can’t come soon enough.

“All over this country our history is erased. That will not happen here,” said Gwendolyn Reese, president of the African American Heritage Association of St. Petersburg. “Our voices will be heard. And not just heard, but valued.”

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The sixth-inning shot — part of a five-run rally that helped Toronto beat Tampa Bay 8-2 on Thursday — traveled an estimated 450 feet.

Guerrero, though, wasn’t so sure.

“I thought it was more than 450,” the Blue Jays star said through an interpreter. “But hey, after 400 it’s all good.”

George Springer and Cavan Biggio also homered to pace the season-opening victory. Alejandro Kirk and Bo Bichette drove in two runs apiece for Toronto, which erupted after being limited to one hit — Springer’s solo homer in the fourth — off Rays starter Zach Eflin (0-1) through the fifth.

José Berríos, making his second opening-day start for the Blue Jays and fourth overall, gave up a leadoff homer to Yandy Díaz on his fifth pitch of the day and also yielded an RBI double to the defending AL batting champion in the sixth.

“Obviously, we don’t want to start the game the way it started, but I had a mindset this is an opportunity to bounce back, you know, stay in the game. Do your thing, show people that you can control the damage and I did,” Berrios said. “Our guys scored a bunch of runs in the fifth. … and we win the ballgame.”

The Toronto right-hander allowed two runs and six hits over six innings. He walked one and struck out six in the matchup of AL East rivals who both made the playoffs last season.

Eflin, who won 16 games in 2023 after signing a $40 million, three-year contract in free agency, allowed six runs and six hits over 5 2/3 innings in his first career opening-day start. The first three hits off him were homers, including Guerrero’s for a 3-1 lead.

“He got that one pretty good,” Rays manager Kevin Cash acknowledged.

Biggio also homered in the sixth, and the Blue Jays broke it open later that inning after Eflin yielded an infield single to Bichette, hit Justin Turner with a pitch and walked Daulton Varsho to load the bases. Kirk followed with a two-run single before Kevin Kiermaier added an RBI single to make it 6-1.

Despite the rocky sixth, Cash felt good about Eflin’s outing. After only needing 55 pitches to get through five innings, the right-hander threw 26 in the sixth.

“I don’t know if there was that big a difference. It’s a good hitting team over there,” Cash said. “It looks like they got a couple of breaking balls that they could handle. Then, they started piecing together some good at-bats.”

The opener before a sellout crowd of 25,025 at Tropicana Field was the start of a three-city road trip for the Blue Jays, who are playing their first 10 games on the road while renovations are completed at Rogers Centre.

TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: Manager John Schneider said ace Kevin Gausman (shoulder fatigue) could make his season debut Sunday or Monday. The right-hander went 12-9 with a 3.16 ERA in 31 starts last season.

Rays: Opened season with nine players on the injured list, including starting RHPs Taj Bradley (right pectoral strain) and Shane Baz (left oblique strain), who are on the 15-day list. Three other starters — lefty Shane McClanahan (Tommy John), right-hander Drew Rasmussen (right elbow) and lefty Jeffrey Springs (Tommy John) — are on the 60-day list and expected to miss either all or a significant portion of the season.

UP NEXT
Second day of a four-game series between the AL East rivals, with right-hander Aaron Civale (7-5, 3.46 last season) starting for Tampa Bay and Toronto countering with right-hander Chris Bassitt (16-8, 3.60).

The post Springer, Biggio, Guerrero homer on opening day, leading Blue Jays over Rays 8-2 appeared first on The Florida Daily Post.

Franco appeared before prosecutors while accompanied by two lawyers, days after not showing up for a meeting with prosecutor Olga Diná Llaverías, according to the official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to discuss the case. The official said the interview lasted nearly three hours.

Llaverías had originally requested Franco appear Dec. 28, two days after prosecutors and police visited two of Franco’s properties in Baní, the All-Star player’s hometown some 37 miles (60 kilometers) southwest of the capital, to request his appearance. They did not find the 22-year-old player there.

Authorities have released little information about the case because it involves a minor.

Franco must be brought before a judge within 24 hours, according to Dominican law. Franco’s U.S. attorney, Jay Reisinger, declined comment. The AP was not able to reach Franco’s attorneys in the Dominican Republic.

The Dominican Republic’s prosecutors’ office said on Aug. 14 that Franco was under investigation because of postings on his social media channels suggesting he had a relationship with a minor. The AP has not been able to verify the reported posts.

Franco was placed on administrative leave by Major League Baseball in August under its the joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy with the players’ association. He was paid and received service time while on administrative leave. There is no timetable for a conclusion of MLB’s investigation and whether the results of the probe might lead to discipline by MLB.

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Garcia and Carter, a 20-year-old rookie who became the second-youngest postseason player in franchise history, homered off 16-game winner Zach Eflin, who was unable to save Tampa Bay’s season.

Texas advanced to a Division Series at AL East champion Baltimore starting Saturday. The Rays’ scoreless streak reached 33 innings, one shy of the postseason record held by the 1966-74 Los Angeles Dodgers, before Curtis Mead’s RBI single in the seventh.

Texas won a postseason series for the first time since 2011, when the Rangers reached the World Series before losing to St. Louis.

Tampa Bay followed a stellar start with a fizzling finish. The Rays opened 13-0 to match the 1982 Atlanta Braves and 1987 Milwaukee Brewers, trailing only the 20-0 start by the 1884 St. Louis Maroons of the Union Association. The Rays led the AL East from opening day and then were overtaken by the Orioles in mid-July.

After gaining the AL’s second wild card, Tampa Bay lost its seventh straight postseason game. In getting swept in consecutive Wild Card Series, the Rays scored two runs over four games while hitting .161.

Eovaldi, beating the Rays for the third time this year, season, allowed six hits while striking out eight and walking none over 6 2/3 innings.

Garcia’s leadoff homer began a four-run fourth inning against loser Zach Eflin. Josh Jung had a RBI triple and Carter hit a two-run homer to right for the Rangers, 7-0 in postseason games at Tropicana Field.

Carter hit .306 with five homers and 12 RBIs over 23 games after making his major league debut on Sept. 8. He reached base in his first six postseason at-bats, doubling twice and drawing three walks.

The Rays finally got an out from the No. 9 hole when Colin Poche fanned Carter in the sixth inning. Marcus Semien and Corey Seager followed with run-scoring doubles.

Attendance for Game 2 was 20,198, another below-sellout crowd at Tropicana Field but up slightly from Tuesday’s 19,704. That was the lowest figure for a major league postseason game since the 1919 World Series, other than 2020 games played during the coronavirus pandemic.

SWITCHING IT UP
The Rays removed CF Jose Siri and inserting Josh Lowe into the cleanup spot. Manuel Margot shifted from right field to center, while Lowe played right .

Siri returned for Game 1 after being sidelined since Sept. 12 with a fractured right hand. He and went 0 for 3 and committed a throwing error that allowed a run.

UP NEXT
Rangers: Begin the ALDS at Baltimore on Saturday.

Rays: Open their spring training schedule against Atlanta on Feb. 24 in Port Charlotte.

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“It’s good to do your job and help the team win,” Montgomery said after scattering six hits over seven innings on Tuesday to move the Rangers within a victory of an AL Division Series matchup against the Baltimore Orioles.

Texas rebounded from a weekend collapse that cost the Rangers the AL West title and a first-round playoff bye. The Rays dropped a club-record sixth straight postseason game dating to Game 2 of the 2021 AL Division Series against Boston.

Montgomery’s pitching set the tone as the best-of-three series began. The Rangers also drew inspiration from the 6-foot-6 left-hander’s defensive gem on a bunt that Jose Siri popped into the air along the first-base line with runners at the corners.

Montgomery dove to make the catch and landed awkwardly.

“I saw it high enough in the air, kind of made two quick steps at it, and then just blacked out and went for it,” Montgomery said.

“That was electric. I was fired up,” said rookie left fielder Evan Carter, who doubled twice and drew a pair of walks in his postseason debut.

“It wasn’t a soft landing was it? He’s a big fellow,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “Great catch by him. We were in a tight situation there. … Just shows you how competitive he is to go out there and dive for that ball.”

Bochy and Rangers athletic trainers went to the mound to check on Montgomery, who was not injured.

“I think I was just as shocked as everybody in the stands. I had to backhand it. … It just was something I’ve never done before,” the pitcher said. “I don’t know if I’ve done that since I was 12. Just kind of a heat-of-the-moment competitive thing.”

Corey Seager and Josh Jung drove in runs and the Rangers benefitted from four errors by the Rays, who also fizzled offensively before a crowd of just 19,704 — roughly 5,300 below listed capacity — at Tropicana Field.

“We didn’t hit, pitch or defend,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “When you’re up against a good team, they’re going to capitalize, and they eventually really did.”

Tampa Bay, wearing throwback Devil Rays jerseys in the style of 1998-2000, has reached the postseason for the fifth straight season but has one run in its last three playoff defeats, hitting .133.

Montgomery, a 30-year-old left-hander acquired from St. Louis at the trade deadline, retired 14 of his last 16 batters. He fanned pinch-hitter Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay’s top minor league prospect, to end his outing with five strikeouts and no walks.

Aroldis Chapman pitched a perfect eighth and José Leclerc worked around a walk in the ninth to finish a six-hitter, the Rangers’ first postseason shutout since the 2011 World Series.

“We’re not going to alter our approach. This team has scored a lot of runs this year. It’s a good hitting lineup,” Cash said. “We got shut down today. I’m very confident that we’re going to bounce back and have some good at-bats.”

Tyler Glasnow (0-1) yielded a sacrifice fly to Jung in the second inning, and the right-hander’s wild pitch allowed Texas to score its second run after the Rangers loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth.

Texas, 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position while stranding nine baserunners through five innings, opened a 4-0 lead in the sixth with additional help from the normally sure-handed Rays, who committed four errors — Tampa Bay’s most in a postseason game since 2008.

Glasnow walked the first two batters in the sixth and Seager greeted Chris Devenski with a run-scoring single. A second run scored on the play when centerfielder Jose Siri threw wildly past third base.

Montgomery, who is eligible for free agency after the World Series, was 2-0 with a 0.67 ERA over his final four starts.

Glasnow allowed four runs and six hits in five-plus innings with eight strikeouts and five walks.

FAMILY AFFAIR
The mother of Tampa Bay’s Randy Arozarena joined her son on the field to throw a ceremonial first pitch before the game.

Sandra Gonzalez made the trip to Tropicana Field from Mexico to watch Arozarena play in person for the first time as a major leaguer. She only recently obtained a visa and arrived in Florida on Monday.

Gonzalez played catch with the All-Star outfielder near the home dugout before taking the mound and tossing a strike to Arozarena, who was squatting in a catcher’s position behind the plate.

The Rays-Rangers series is a family affair in more ways than one, with brothers Josh Lowe of Tampa Bay and Nathaniel Lowe of Texas facing off in October for the first time. Their mother, Wendy, was unable to attend because she is battling cancer and undergoing chemotherapy.

“It hurts her that she’s not going to be here today. She’s entering her third week of chemo and radiation, and she’s got brain cancer, so yeah, it’s a lot to go through,” Nathaniel said before the game.

“It’s a pretty heavy toll,” the Texas first baseman added. “I know Josh has done a pretty good job of putting it aside and compartmentalizing it and performing. But it’s something that we’re all learning to deal with and go forward with.”

UP NEXT
Texas right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (12-5, 3.63 ERA) starts Wednesday, and the Rays will counter with AL wins co-leader Zach Eflin (16-8).

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Tampa Bay had shared the mark dating to 1901 with the 2009 Los Angeles Dodgers.

It had been first thought that the modern record was 15, held by the 1907 New York Giants. Research by the Elias Sports Bureau found that the Giants forfeited their first home before the 15-game streak, which officially counted as a loss.

The longest streak in MLB history was 21 in a row, set the 1880 Chicago White Stockings, who became the Cubs, according to Elias.

The Rays are 20-3 overall. Only the 1911 Detroit Tigers and 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers had better starts at 21-2 since 1901.

“You look on the scoreboard, it seems like there’s a new record broke everyday,” Bradley said. “It means a lot. So, it’s like, what’s tomorrow?

The 22-year-old Bradley (3-0) allowed three runs and four hits with six strikeouts and no walks in five innings. In 15 1/3 innings this season, the right-hander has struck out 23 and waked two.

Rays shortstop Wander Franco had four hits and made an outstanding recovery catch on Martín Maldonado’s fifth-inning foul ball down the left-field line when he overran the ball but was able to make the grab with his bare hand.

“The last time I’d seen it, it was when Kevin Mitchell did it when I was in San Francisco,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “That was a real tough play even to catch it and get out to it. And then when he overran it, I guess that’s just a natural reaction to put your other hand out.”

Franco, through a translator, said he couldn’t reach the ball with his glove and his hand just happened to be there and it fell right into it.

“I couldn’t believe it until I caught it,” Franco said.

Alex Bregman and Jeremy Peña homered for the Astros, who had a four-game winning streak halted. Mauricio Dubón extended his hitting streak to 18 games.

“It was a rough night,” Baker said.

The Astros were without slugger Yordan Alvarez, who returned to Houston to be examined for neck discomfort. Baker is hopeful Alvarez can avoid the injured list.

Houston second baseman José Altuve (fractured right thumb), and outfielders Michael Brantley (right shoulder) and Chas McCormick (lower back) are on the IL.

After Peña had a solo shot in the third, the Rays chased Houston starter José Urquidy (1-2) with a four-run outburst in the bottom half to go ahead 6-3.

Randy Arozarena got his second RBI of the game and 24th overall with a sacrifice fly. Urquidy walked two consecutive batters with two outs to load the bases before Josh Lowe had a run-scoring infield single and Christian Bethancourt hit a two-run single.

Urquidy gave up six runs and seven hits in 2 2/3 innings.

Dubón tripled on Bradley’s first pitch of the game and scored on Kyle Tucker’s sacrifice fly. Bregman made it 2-0 later in the first with a solo homer.

Tampa Bay tied it in the bottom half when Arozarena had an RBI triple, and came home when Harold Ramírez pushed his hitting streak to 10 games with a double.

Franco and Isaac Paredes each had an RBI single.

NUMBERS

Tampa Bay’s MLB record of homering in each of its first 22 games of a season ended. … Rays 2B Brandon Lowe struck out in all five plate appearances. … The Rays have outscored their opponent 157-64.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rays: CF Jose Siri (right hamstring) could be back Tuesday. … RHP Tyler Glasnow (left oblique) threw a one-inning simulated game and could join Triple-A Durham the middle of next week. … LHP Jeffrey Springs had Tommy John surgery, which manager Kevin Cash said went well.

UP NEXT

Houston RHP Luis Garcia (1-2) and Rays RHP Drew Rasmussen (3-1) are Tuesday night’s starters.

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George Springer hit a leadoff home run and Bo Bichette had five hits and an RBI as the Blue Jays denied Tampa Bay’s bid to establish Major League Baseball’s post-1900 record for consecutive wins at a season’s start.

Toronto’s 13-0 record matched the 1982 Atlanta Braves and 1987 Milwaukee Brewers, trailing only the 20-0 start by the 1884 St. Louis Maroons of the Union Association.

Tampa Bay trailed at the end of an inning just six times entering Friday. Against the Blue Jays they trailed after all nine.

Springer homered on the night’s second pitch from Drew Rasmussen (2-1), who pitched 13 innings in his first two starts. Springer’s 53rd leadoff homer tied Craig Biggio for third, behind Rickey Henderson’s 81 and Alfonso Soriano hit 54.

Bichette had an RBI double in the second for a 2-0 lead and his 500th hit. He reached the mark in his 407th game, faster than the previous Blue Jays mark shared by Vernon Wells and Shannon Stewart.

Luke Raley cut the lead in half with an RBI single in the fourth but Poche relieved with the bases loaded in the fifth and walked pinch-hitter Alejando Kirk on four pitches and Santiago Espinal on five. Danny Jansen hit grounded to Wander Franco for a potential inning-ending double play, but Lowe allowed the ball to bounce off his glove and into the outfield as two runs scored.

Rasmussen allowed five runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings. José Berríos (1-2) gave up one run and four hits in five innings, leaving because of a bruised left knee that got struck twice in his final inning. Manuel Margot’s leadoff liner caromed off Berríos’ left foot and into foul territory. Three batters later, a Yandy Díaz comebacker struck Berríos’ knee.

Trevor Richards got two outs in the sixth and Zach Pop came on to strike out Isaac Paredes, stranding runners at first and second.

After Yimi García gave up back-to-back homers to Josh Lowe and Christian Bethancourt in the seventh, Erik Swanson worked a scoreless eighth and Jordan Romano finished for his fifth save in six chances.

Blue Jays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier faced his former team for the first time and went 2 for 4. The three-time Gold Glove award winner spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Rays.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rays: Manager Kevin Cash said LHP Jeffrey Springs will likely land on the injured list after leaving Thursday’s game against Boston two pitches into the fourth inning with what the team said was inflammation of the ulnar nerve.

Blue Jays: 3B Matt Chapman returned after being scratched Thursday because of an illness.

GREAT GRAB

Blue Jays left fielder Daulton Varsho made a leaping catch at the wall on Díaz’s deep drive for the final out of the third

PEDAL POWER

Kiermaier said he rode his bicycle to the ballpark for the first time Friday, a 4 1/2 mile journey from his Toronto home.

“I had an absolute blast,” Kiermaier said.

UP NEXT

The Rays had not announced a starter for Saturday. LHP Yusei Kikuchi (1-0, 6.75) goes for the Blue Jays.

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Tampa Bay matched the 13-0 start of the 1982 Atlanta Braves and 1987 Milwaukee Brewers. The only longer opening streak was a 20-0 start by the 1884 St. Louis Maroons of the Union Association. The Rays have won all but two of the games by four or more runs and have outscored opponents 101-30 with the most runs in the big leagues and the fewest allowed.

Playing before a crowd of 21,175, the largest at Tropicana Field since opening day, the Rays set a team record for wins at any point in a season by topping a 12-game run in June 2004.

Boston, held to four hits, has lost 13 consecutive games at the Trop.

Rays starter Jeffrey Springs left two pitches into the fourth inning with what the team said was ulnar neuritis, inflammation of the ulnar nerve that causes numbness or weakness. He was relieved after throwing a 79.8 mph changeup and a 83.5 mph to Justin Turner, then looking at his hand and elbow.

Tampa Bay trailed 3-1 in the fifth. Ramirez started the big rally with a double off Corey Kluber (0-3) and broke open the game with a three-run double against Richard Bleier.

Francisco Mejía cut the deficit with a run-scoring single and Brandon Lowe greeted Bleier, the only left-hander in Boston’s bullpen, with a tying RBI single.

Randy Arozarena singled for a 4-3 lead, Wander Franco was hit by a pitch and Manuel Margot dropped down a run-scoring bunt single. Ramirez then lined a double into the left-field corner for an 8-3 advantage.

Lowe added a seventh-inning home run off Kutter Crawford, his fifth this season. Yandy Díaz tied the score 1-1 in the first with his fourth this season for the Rays, who lead the major leagues with 32.

Kevin Kelly (1-0), a 25-year-old right-hander who debuted April 1, pitched 2 2/3 innings for the win.

Braden Bristo, a 28-year-old right-hander, pitched three hitless innings with four strikeouts and a walk in his major league debut after seven seasons in the New York Yankees minor league system.

Rob Refsnyder homered in the first, the first run off Springs in three starts this season.

Kiké Hernández hit into a run-scoring groundout in the fourth, an inning that included Triston Casas’s 14-pitch walk against Garret Cleavinger. Justin Turner had an RBI single in the fifth on a soft fly to center that dropped just in front of center fielder Justin Lowe, who tried for a diving catch.

ROSTER MOVES

Red Sox: RHP Zack Kelly was placed on the 15-day IL after leaving Wednesday night’s game with an elbow injury, and RHP Kutter Crawford was recalled from Triple-A Worcester.

Rays: RHP Taj Bradley, who won his major league debut on Wednesday, was optioned to Triple-A Durham. … Bristo’s contract was selected from Durham and RHP Shane Baz (Tommy John surgery) was transferred to the 60-day IL.

UP NEXT

Red Sox: RHP Tanner Houck (2-0) starts Friday’s homestand opener against Los Angeles Angels and LHP Patrick Sandoval (1-0).

Rays: RHP Drew Rasmussen (2-0) starts Friday’s series opener at Toronto, which goes with RHP José Berríos (0-2).

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Rays tie record with 13-0 start, rally to beat Red Sox 9-3

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The 1987 Brewers and 1982 Atlanta Braves share the major league record for the best start to a season at 13-0. The Rays are the seventh team since 1901 to begin the year with 10 or more wins.

“It’s cool to be part of it,” right fielder Luke Raley said,

Lowe homered for the third straight game, sending a 3-2, one-out pitch from Chris Martin (0-1) into the right-field stands. Lowe has nine RBIs over his last three games.

“This is the first night where it’s kind of quiet offensively,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “I kind of felt like at any given moment somebody could knock one out of the ballpark. Probably the right guy with Brandon.”

Tampa Bay has outscored its opponents 76-18.

In a matchup of the AL’s top two scoring teams, pitching and defense prevailed. This was the Rays’ first win by fewer than four runs as Tampa Bay fell one short of the 1939 New York Yankees, the most recent team to win 10 consecutive games by four or more at any point in a season.

Tampa Bay opener Jalen Beeks allowed one hit over two innings, and Josh Fleming gave up one hit over the next four. After Garrett Cleavinger worked a perfect seventh, Colin Poche (1-0) worked out of bases-loaded, two-jam in the eighth by striking out Rafael Devers.

“He made some good pitches and got Rafie out,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “They pitched well, we pitched well. There was good defense. Obviously we didn’t win the game but as far as the game, it was great.”

Pete Fairbanks completed the three-hitter and got his first save.

Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta gave up three hits in five scoreless innings. Josh Winckowski allowed one hit in two innings.

The Rays were coming off consecutive 11-0 wins over Oakland in which the Athletics were limited to four hits overall. Boston had a three-game weekend sweep over Detroit in which the Red Sox outscored the Tigers 24-9.

BY THE NUMBERS

This is the first time Tampa Bay has recorded three consecutive shutouts. … The Rays have won 10 straight home games against Boston.

PRODUCTIVE FILL-INS

Boston center fielder Rob Refsnyder, one of several players who will be filling in for the injured Adam Duvall, saved a pair of runs with a sliding catch on the warning track that took away an extra-base hit from Randy Arozarena in the third.

Duvall, hurt attempting a diving catch on Sunday, was placed on the 10-day injured list before the game with a fractured left wrist. Cora said Duvall will not need surgery and the wrist will be placed in a cast. There is no timetable for his return.

Bobby Dalbec, recalled from Triple-A Worcester to take Duvall’s roster spot, had a pinch-hit single in the eighth.

UP NEXT

Cora said “there’s a good chance” RHP Garrett Whitlock (hip surgery) will make his season debut Tuesday night against Rays ace Shane McClanahan (2-0, 1.50 ERA).

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