WALDRON GRAIN & FUEL

05/20 20:10 CDT Rafael Devers sets team record by homering in 6th straight game as Red Sox top Rays 5-0 Rafael Devers sets team record by homering in 6th straight game as Red Sox top Rays 5-0 By MARK DIDTLER Associated Press ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) --- Rafael Devers set a team record by homering in his sixth consecutive game, Tanner Houck allowed two hits over seven innings, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-0 on Monday night. Devers had shared the Boston mark of a five-game homer streak with six others, including Hall of Famers Ted Williams and Jimmie Foxx. Houck (4-5) allowed a third-inning single to Yandy Daz and an infield hit to Josh Lowe in the seventh. He struck out five and was charged with one walk --- which occurred when Devers was ruled to have violated defensive shift rules for an automatic ball on Jonathan Aranda's groundout in the second on a 3-2 pitch. Ceddanne Rafaela also homered for the Red Sox, who returned to .500 at 24-24. Justin Slaten completed a three-hitter as Boston improved to 6-22 at Tampa Bay since the start of the 2021 season. Rays starter Taj Bradley (1-2) struck out eight of his first nine batters before Jarren Duran opened the fourth with a triple and scored on a double by Wilyer Abreu. Devers put Boston up 3-0 as he extended his hitting streak to 10 games with his 10th homer, an opposite-field two-run drive to left. Rafaela was hitless in 17 at-bats before his fifth-inning two-run drive against Bradley made it 5-0. Bradley gave up five runs, six hits and struck out 10 in a career-high seven innings. It was the right-hander's third start this year after he began the season sidelined by a right pectoral strain. TRAINER'S ROOM Rays: Opening-day starter Zach Eflin went on the 15-day injured list with lower back inflammation and is expected to miss two to four weeks. ... 2B Brandon Lowe (right oblique strain) returned after missing 37 games and went 0 for 3. UP NEXT Boston RHP Cooper Criswell (2-1, 2.76 ERA) and Rays RHP Zack Littell (2-2, 3.44 ERA) are Tuesday night's starters. ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB