In the final game of the season for both teams, the Boston Red Sox secured a 3-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. Vaughn Grissom played a key role in the win, contributing with an RBI double and crossing home plate to help Boston clinch third place in the AL East, finishing the season with a record of 81-81. This marked the third consecutive year that the Red Sox missed the postseason, a first since the 2010-2012 seasons where they had a 78-84 record each year.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora expressed disappointment over not making the playoffs, especially considering their performance in the last month and a half of the season. The Rays, who ended with an 80-82 record, saw their streak of five consecutive postseason appearances come to an end after going 99-63 in the previous season.
Tampa Bay’s Dylan Carlson had a notable game with three singles and an RBI. The Red Sox also took the opportunity to honor their longtime radio voice, Joe Castiglione, with a pregame ceremony. Castiglione, who called his final game after being the team’s lead radio voice since 1983, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame this summer.
In the pitching department, Quinn Priester made his debut for the Red Sox after being recalled from Triple-A Worcester. He allowed only one run on four hits over five innings, ultimately contributing to the team’s victory. On the Rays side, Ryan Pepiot gave up two runs (one earned) in his 26th start of the season.
The atmosphere was emotional as the Red Sox recognized Castiglione’s contributions with a montage of his calls played on the center-field scoreboard. The paid attendance for the game was 34,862, bringing the Red Sox’s home total for the season to 2,659,949 fans.
Looking ahead, the Rays will host the Red Sox in their spring training opener on February 22, while the Red Sox will face Northeastern in their first spring training game on February 21.
