BOSTON (AP) — Vaughn Grissom had an RBI double and scored a run to help Boston beat Tampa Bay 3-1 on Sunday in the teams’ season finales, earning the Red Sox third place ahead of the Rays in the AL East. The Red Sox finished the season with a record of 81-81, missing the playoffs for the third straight year for the first time since 2010-12. Boston was 78-84 in each of the past two seasons.
“It’s disappointing that we didn’t make it, especially the way the season went the last month and a half, not only with us but around the league,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said before the game. “We had a chance.” The Rays ended the year at 80-82, halting a stretch of five consecutive seasons going to the postseason.
They went 99-63 in 2023. It was the Rays' first losing season since 2017. “I mean, look, not where we want to be,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said.
“Know that we've got some work to do. I'm confident we will work very hard this offseason and certainly going into spring training to find a way to be playing a little deeper.” Dylan Carlson had three singles and an RBI for Tampa Bay.
Boston honored longtime radio voice Joe Castiglione with an on-field pregame ceremony . The 74-year-old called his final game Sunday after being the team’s lead radio voice since 1983. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame this summer with the Ford C.
Frick Award. Before the top of the eighth, the team ran a montage of his calls over highlights shown on the center-f.