BOSTON — Josh Lowe hit an RBI double and scored a run in the seventh inning as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Boston Red Sox 2-1 on Friday night.
Right-hander Taj Bradley (8-11) got the win, going six scoreless innings while giving up three hits and a walk with seven strikeouts and a hit batter.
''It's always good to go into the offseason with a good start, a good taste in your mouth,'' said Bradley, who became the third pitcher in Tampa Bay history to record 150 or more strikeouts at age 23 or younger, joining Scott Kazmir (2005-07) and Matt Moore (2012).
''I just felt good with everything. There's stuff (pitching coach Kyle Snyder) and I talked about for the past few weeks, and I was able to execute. And I was just giddy coming off the mound knowing that I did that.''
Lowe's double broke a scoreless tie and scored Jonathan Aranda, who drew a one-out walk off Boston starter Nick Pivetta (6-12) before Jonny DeLuca's single. DeLuca was thrown out at the plate attempting to score on Lowe's hit, driving Pivetta from the game, with left-hander Zach Penrod entering.
''A couple good swings, (opposite field) on both of them,'' Rays manager Kevin Cash said of Lowe, who had two hits. ''Another guy, good to see doing some good things.''
Pivetta, who can become a free agent after the season, went 6 2/3 innings, giving up two runs on four hits, a walk and six strikeouts.
''It's been a hefty four years, almost five years for me and there's a lot to be grateful for," Pivetta said. "A lot of opportunities have been given and try to take advantage of every single one. But also I've had a lot of help along the way and there's been a lot of people around that have helped guide me and a lot of them are in the dugout and the coaching staff. So, it's really emotional for me.''
