ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Rookie Mookie Betts hit his first career grand slam, Anthony Ranaudo pitched six effective innings, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 8-4 Friday night.

After Yoenis Cespedes drove in his second run of the game with a double, Betts connected off Chris Archer (8-7) to cap a five-run second inning that made it 8-0.

Ranaudo (3-0), recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket before the game, gave up three runs and five hits. He has won all three of his big league starts.

Archer allowed eight runs and nine hits over four innings.

There were no incidents in the first meeting between the teams since Archer and the Rays took issue with the way David Ortiz acted after hitting a three-run homer off the Tampa Bay pitcher on July 27. Archer made a point of saying he didn’t appreciate Ortiz flipping his bat before beginning his homer trot, and added that the star DH “feels like he’s bigger than the game.”

Former Rays ace David Price, traded to Detroit July 31, and Ortiz began feuding after Big Papi homered off the former AL Cy Young winner last fall in the AL championship series. Price hit Ortiz with a fastball May 30, leading to more verbal sparring.

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Ortiz singled in five at-bats.

Cespedes and Daniel Nava each hit RBI singles during a three-run first. The other run scored on one of two Tampa Bay errors in the inning. The Rays have at least one error in six consecutive games.

Boston sent nine batters to the plate in the both the first and second innings.

Brandon Guyer hit a two-run homer in the fifth and added an RBI single in the ninth for the Rays, who have lost nine of 13.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: Manager John Farrell fully expects INF Xander Bogaerts to be reinstated Saturday from the seven-day concussion list.

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Rays: CF Desmond Jennings was a late scratch due to left knee soreness. … OF Wil Myers had an infield single in four at-bats and is 6 for 37 with 14 strikeouts since returning from a broken right wrist that kept him sidelined for 70 games.

ON DECK

Rays RHP Jake Odorizzi (9-11) and Red Sox RHP Allen Webster (3-2) are Saturday night’s scheduled starters. Webster gave up two runs, three hits and five walks in 51/3 innings to beat Archer on July 27.

DEBUT

Cuban outfielder Rusney Castillo is set to make his pro debut for the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Red Sox Sunday.

The Red Sox signed Castillo to a seven-year, $72.5 million contract last Saturday.

Castillo has been working out at the Red Sox complex in Fort Myers, Florida, and will likely play three innings in Game 2 of the GCL championship series against the Yankees.


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