Rays lose again to Red Sox as Zack Littell allows 4 homers

BOSTON — The way the old saying goes is that solo home runs won’t beat you.

Zack Littell proved that to be untrue Wednesday, allowing four over his six innings as the Rays fell 4-3 to the Red Sox.

The loss was the Rays’ second straight, dropping their record to 36-32 and saddling them with their first series loss in nearly a month, having gone 6-0-1 since dropping two of three at Miami on May 16-18.

The first two homers Littell gave up came on the first pitches he threw to Jarren Duran in the first and rookie Marcelo Mayer in the second, which he attributed to their aggressiveness. The other two were on poor pitches he made to Mayer and Abraham Toro.

“It comes down to execution,” Littell said. ”You just have to be better. I don’t have the stuff to be able to miss over the middle of the plate, and (Wednesday) I missed over the middle of the plate two times.”

Littell had been on a good roll, with the Rays winning his last eight outings and him posting a 6-0, 2.79 record.

But he got off to a bad start Wednesday.

The Red Sox’s Marcelo Mayer points towards the Boston dugout while rounding the bases on his solo home run during the second inning. [ CHARLES KRUPA | Associated Press ]

He gave up the homer on his first pitch to Duran, grazed No. 2 hitter Rafael Devers with a pitch and allowed a single to three-hole hitter Toro. Based on that, he did well to allow just the one run.

The Rays got even in the second, but should have scored more after loading the bases with no outs. But Taylor Walls flied out, Josh Lowe hit a grounder to short that scored Jake Magnum but forced out Kameron Misner at second, and Brandon Lowe grounded out.

The Sox went right back ahead when rookie Marcelo Mayer homered on the first pitch of the second inning. They expanded the lead to 3-1 when Mayer, a close friend of Rays prospect Carson Williams, homered again with one out in the fourth.

The Rays got even, albeit briefly, in the fifth when Brandon Lowe reached on a two-out infield single, and Yandy Diaz followed with a homer to right.

But Littell did it again, allowing his fourth homer of the night when Abraham Toro took him deep with one out in the fifth.

“I told (pitching coach Kyle Snyder) it’s one of those nights you kind of lose sleep over, because outside of the four runs — and really, we’ll narrow it down to the two pitches — take away the two first-pitch homers, I threw the ball as well as I have in the last six, seven, eight starts,” Littell said.

The Rays’ record for most homers allowed in a game is six by James Shields on Aug. 7, 2010.

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The Rays had a chance to get even in the eighth when Diaz singled with one out and Jonathan Aranda was hit by a pitch.

Jose Caballero, who went into the game leading the majors with 25 steals (in 29 chances) was thrown out trying to swipe third. After Junior Caminero walked, Mangum hustled his way to an infield single that loaded the bases, but Matt Thaiss struck out.

Thursday: Off

Up next: Friday at Mets, 7:10, Citi Field, New York

Pitchers: Rays — RH Taj Bradley (4-5, 4.58); Mets — RH Clay Holmes (7-3, 2.95)

TV/radio: FanDuel Sports Sun; 95.3-FM, 620-AM, 106.7-FM (Spanish)

Info: raysbaseball.com

On deck

Saturday: at Mets, 4:10. Rays, RH Drew Rasmussen (5-4, 2.22); Mets, RH Tylor Megill (5-4, 3.76)

Sunday: at Mets, 1:40. Rays, RH Shane Baz (5-3, 4.97); Mets, RH Griffin Canning (6-2, 3.16)

Monday: vs. Orioles, 7:35. Rays, RH Ryan Pepiot (3-6, 3.31); Orioles, RH Zach Eflin (6-2, 4.08)

Tuesday: vs. Orioles, 7:35. Rays, RH Zack Littell (6-6, 3.84); Orioles, RH Dean Kremer (5-6. 4.98)

Wednesday: vs, Orioles, 7:35. Rays, RH Taj Bradley (4-5, 4.58); Orioles, RH Charlie Morton (2-7, 6.59)