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Rays, Red Sox play out the stretch in Boston

Sep 23, 2014 - 2:48 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - A disappointing season is winding down for both the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays, and the AL East rivals will clash for the first of three straight games Tuesday at Fenway Park.

The defending World Series champion Red Sox will close out the season in front of their home fans and will host the New York Yankees for three games this weekend. The Red Sox are only 31-44 at Fenway Park.

Boston concluded a 10-game road trip with a 5-5 mark and took Sunday's rubber match of a three-game series in Baltimore by a 3-2 score. Mookie Betts and David Ross both homered and the latter's solo blast in the top of the sixth proved to be the difference.

Joe Kelly earned the win and allowed two runs in seven innings. Kelly struck out five and walked three.

"He had good power to his fastball. When he mixes in his curveball, which he did the second, third time through the order, he really has such quality stuff to keep people off balance," Red Sox manager John Farrell said about Kelly.

The Red Sox finished the season with a 37-44 road mark.

Boston shortstop Xander Bogaerts departed Sunday's win in the second inning with a stiff neck. Bogaerts is expected to return Tuesday and is hitting .237 with 12 homers and 43 RBI this season.

"He was hit with a ball on a ricochet in BP in the cage," Farrell said. "After his first at-bat, his neck started to stiffen further, and we got him out of there."

Clay Buchholz gets the call for the Red Sox Tuesday and he is 8-9 with a 5.29 earned run average. Buchholz had a personal three-game winning streak come to an end in last Wednesday's 9-1 loss at Pittsburgh, where he was tagged for five runs (4 earned) and six hits in four innings.

The Red Sox had won Buchholz's last four starts. The right-hander is just 3-5 with a 6.78 ERA in 12 home starts and 8-5 with a 2.21 ERA in 17 career starts against the Rays. Buchholz won his only start against Tampa Bay this season, as he tossed a three-hit shutout in a 3-0 road win on Aug. 31.

Meanwhile, Tampa Bay has lost three of four games since winning three straight, and lost two of three versus the Chicago White Sox this weekend at Tropicana Field.

The Rays lost Sunday's rubber match, 10-5, and Nate Karns was roughed up to the tune of six runs and five hits in five innings. Alex Colome allowed four runs in relief.

Brandon Guyer had two hits and two RBI in the loss. Kevin Kiermaier and Wil Myers each brought in a run for Tampa Bay, which played its last home game of the season. Tampa went 36-45 at the Trop and will play its next six games on the road against Boston and Cleveland.

"Effort is the word," said Rays manager Joe Maddon. "The effort has been there the whole time."

The Rays struck out nine Chicago batters on Sunday and are second in the majors with 1,389 K's, the most since they ended with 1,383 in 2012. The 2012 Brewers fanned 1,402 batters and the Chicago Cubs posted 1,404 in 2003.

Alex Cobb hopes to add to that strikeout total when he toes the rubber Tuesday for Tampa Bay. Cobb is 0-1 in his last four outings and 6-2 in 12 road starts. He has faced the Red Sox eight times -- all starts -- in his career and is 2-3 with a 3.80 ERA.

Cobb lost his only start against Boston this season on Aug. 31, when he gave up two runs -- one earned -- and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings of a 3-0 loss.

Tampa Bay has a slight 9-7 edge against Boston this season.