BOSTON (AP) - It was only fitting that a batter who was by a pitch scored the winning run.
Beanballs were the theme Friday night as the Red Sox and Rays had another AL East rumble, with Boston earning a 3-2 victory on A.J. Pierzysnki’s RBI triple in the 10th inning that drove in Jonny Gomes.
The Red Sox rushed out of the dugout - for once not to possibly fight their division rivals - and celebrated their fifth straight win following a 10-game skid.
A chunk of Boston’s coaching staff had to watch the comeback from the clubhouse, where they were sent during a string of ejections in the latest testy game between the clubs, which included a bench-clearing scrum in the fourth inning.
“When we have four people ejected and also have three people hit by pitches, and they have none, that’s a hard one to figure out,” said Boston manager John Farrell, who was the first of three Boston skippers to get tossed.
His two successors joined him later along with starting pitcher Brandon Workman, who was tossed in the sixth after a throwing a high pitch that sailed behind Tampa Bay slugger Evan Longoria.
Farrell was still irked after the game that Tampa Bay ace David Price was not ejected.
Farrell objected after Price’s first pitch to David Ortiz hit him in the hip, setting the tone for the night. Plate umpire Dan Bellino immediately issued a warning to both benches, which irked Farrell enough to get him out of the dugout, then quickly ejected when he crossed Bellino’s threshold.
“There is intent to that pitch. As emphatic as Dan Bellino’s warning was, it sure seemed like Dan Bellino felt like there was intent as well,” Farrell said.
Ortiz felt it was retribution for two homers he hit off Price in the playoffs last year.
“If you’re mad because I take you deep twice, let me let you know,” Ortiz said during a postgame rant about Price. “I’ve got almost 500 homers in this league. It’s part of the game, son.”
There was much more to come, including a bench-clearing scrum after Price plunked Boston first baseman Mike Carp in the fourth. No punches were thrown and the only ejection was to Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo, who threw down his hat and burst into an argument when he learned Price wasn’t tossed.
Price said the pitch to Carp was not intentional.
“That’s not something I’m trying to do,” Price said. “I had six lefties in the lineup today. I’ve got to be able to throw my fastball in.”
Crew chief Jeff Kellogg explained to a pool reporter why Price wasn’t tossed after the warnings and his second hit batter.
“If we feel there was intent to hit the batter, he would have been ejected,” Kellogg said. “We felt the pitch was certainly inside but not intentional. So that’s why he stayed in the game.”
Andrew Miller (2-4) got the win. Juan Carlos Oviedo (1-2) took the loss after hitting Gomes, who was ejected Sunday when the Rays and Red Sox cleared the benches in Tampa Bay.
“I thought it was a great game. I thought it was handled great on the field by the umpires,” Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. “It’s always going to be felt from the perspective of the sides. I’m going to defend the Rays and they’re going to defend the Red Sox.”
These teams have a long history of bad blood, and Friday night was the latest chapter.
Boston retaliated in the sixth when Workman threw behind Longoria, who was visibly upset. Longoria and Pierzynski had a conversation at home plate, and a handful of players from both dugouts ventured a few steps onto the field, but no trouble ensued.
Workman was ejected and third base coach Brian Butterfield was automatically tossed with him, leaving hitting coach Greg Colbrunn as the fourth Red Sox skipper of the night.
The last-place Rays had won five straight against the Red Sox, including a three-game sweep last weekend that extended Boston’s losing streak to 10 in a row. The Red Sox vented some of the frustration during a bench-clearing dustup Sunday at Tampa Bay.
David DeJesus led off the game with a double and went to third on an error by Grady Sizemore in right field. Ben Zobrist followed with a fielder’s choice that allowed DeJesus to score and give Tampa Bay a 1-0 lead.
The Rays added a run in the fifth when Escobar led off with a double and scored on an RBI single by DeJesus.
Boston cut it to 2-1 in the fifth on two-out singles by Xander Bogaerts, Dustin Pedroia and Ortiz. Bogaerts added an RBI double to tie it at 2-all in the seventh after Jackie Bradley Jr. led off with a single.
Price left after seven innings, allowing two runs and six hits. He struck out six, walked one and hit two batters.
NOTES: Boston RHP Rubby De La Rosa is scheduled to make his first start of the season Saturday against Tampa Bay RHP Jake Odorizzi (2-4). … Price entered with a 6-1 record at Fenway Park. … With Price’s no-decision, Tampa Bay starting pitchers have gone 12 straight games without a victory. … The Rays activated Ben Zobrist (thumb) from the 15-day DL and started him at second base. … Boston placed 1B-C Ryan Lavarnway on the 15-day disabled list with a broken bone in his left hand and recalled OF-1B Alex Hassan from Triple-A Pawtucket.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.