Rays 'keep it rolling,' become 1st MLB team to open 10-0 since 1987

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays became the first major league team since the 1987 Milwaukee Brewers to open the season with 10 straight wins, getting a solo homer from Brandon Lowe in the eighth inning to defeat the Boston Red Sox 1-0 on Monday night.

Lowe homered for the third straight game, sending a one-out pitch from Chris Martin (0-1) into the right-field stands. Lowe has nine RBIs over his last three games.

«Brandon had a really good at-bat,» Rays manager Kevin Cash said. «Hung in there on some pitches, and then he got a fastball that he could get the barrel to. And we know that he can knock it out of the ballpark when he connects.»

The 1987 Brewers and 1982 Atlanta Braves share the major league record for the best start to a season at 13-0.

«It's great to come out on top,» Lowe said in his postgame, on-field interview. «Let's keep it rolling.»

In a matchup of the AL's top two scoring teams, pitching and defense prevailed. This was the Rays' first win by fewer than four runs as Tampa Bay fell one short of the 1939 New York Yankees, the most recent team to win 10 consecutive games by four or more at any point in a season.

«This is the first night where it was kind of quiet offensively,» Cash said. «I kind of felt like, at any given moment, someone can knock one out of the ballpark.»

Tampa Bay opener Jalen Beeks allowed one hit over two innings, and Josh Fleming gave up one hit over the next four. After Garrett Cleavinger worked a perfect seventh, Colin Poche (1-0) worked out of bases-loaded, two-jam in the eighth by striking out Rafael Devers.

Pete Fairbanks completed the three-hitter and recorded his first save. The Rays have now posted three consecutive shutouts, having posted consecutive 11-0 wins over