Surging Sox ride Papi’s HR to cusp of berth

ST. PETERSBURG — The Red Sox had their bullpen warming as early as the fourth inning Friday when Drew Pomeranz found himself in a first-and-third, one-out pickle. But the southpaw induced a 6-4-3 double play and allowed only one run in five innings before the ‘pen helped the Red Sox hold on for a 2-1 win over the Rays at Tropicana Field. Depending on the result of the Orioles-D-backs game, the Red Sox’s magic number to clinch a playoff berth will be either one or two.

Both Pomeranz and Chris Archer allowed one home run each, and that was all. Pomeranz gave up a solo shot to Mikie Mahtook in the second inning, while Archer watched as David Ortiz crushed a two-run homer to right field in the first.

There wasn’t much offense the rest of the way. The Red Sox left the bases loaded in the eighth inning against Danny Farquhar. Brad Ziegler was summoned for the save in the ninth with Craig Kimbrel unavailable, and after allowing a leadoff double to Evan Longoria, he retired the Rays in order.

MOMENTS THAT MATTEREDMoonshot for Ortiz: Ortiz started off his final series at Tropicana Field in the loudest way possible. In front of a fairly partisan Red Sox crowd, Ortiz gave Boston an early 2-0 lead with his 37th home run of the season. It traveled a Statcast-projected 411 feet down the right-field line and marked the only runs Boston would get off …

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