Ramos sets tone with early homer vs. Red Sox
Hitting in cleanup spot for first time, veteran goes deep in 2nd straight game
BOSTON -- Dreary weather at Fenway Park couldn't cool off Wilson Ramos and the red-hot Rays early on in their 4-3 win Friday over the Red Sox.
Ramos hit his second home run in as many games, a two-run shot over the Green Monster, in the first inning to give Tampa Bay a 2-0 lead against Red Sox lefty Thomas Pomeranz.
"Every guy who's getting opportunities to play or come up with a big hit, they're doing it," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "Wilson seems to be getting hot. He's starting to square balls up."
Ramos was hitting cleanup for the first time this season, thanks in part to the hitting streak he extended to eight games with his homer. His last home run as a cleanup hitter came in 2016, when he was hitting one spot ahead of Jayson Werth in the Nationals' lineup.
Dating back to September of last season, Ramos has hit eight home runs in his past 32 games.