Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela walks off the Rays with home run over the Green Monster - Yahoo Sports

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The Boston Red Sox celebrated a thrilling walk-off victory over the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 on Friday night at Fenway Park when Ceddanne Rafaela hit a two-run home run in the ninth inning over the Green Monster. It was an electric scene as the fans celebrated as Rafaela touched home, with his teammates praising him. The victory was the eighth straight for Boston.

Rafaela, who also contributed an RBI single in the second inning, has driven in runs for seven straight games. After Roman Anthony drew a walk, Rafaela faced a 1-2 count and connected with a slider from Rays closer Pete Fairbanks, launching his 13th home run of the season and bringing his total runs batted in for the night to three.

The Red Sox had tied the game at 1-1 in the second inning with Rafaela’s single, but fell behind 4-1 after pitcher Hunter Dobbins had to leave the game in the second due to a right knee injury. In the third inning, defensive errors and two passed balls allowed Tampa Bay to score three unearned runs. Boston fought back in the fourth with an RBI double from Marcelo Mayer and a run-scoring groundout by Abraham Toro, narrowing the gap to 4-3.

Alongside Rafaela’s impressive performance, Alex Bregman returned from the injured list, going 1-for-4 with a double off the Green Monster. Trevor Story added two hits and a walk, while Mayer made crucial defensive plays at second base to complement his offensive contributions. Chris Murphy secured the win after a flawless ninth inning, being one of six relievers called upon by Boston after Dobbins’ early exit.

Now with a record of 51–45, the Red Sox are holding onto the second Wild Card spot in the American League, trailing the division leaders by 4.5 games. They’ll aim to extend their winning streak to nine games on Saturday afternoon, with Garrett Crochet set to take the mound. The Rays will respond with right-hander Shane Baz.

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