{
  "id": 8764191,
  "title": "Griffin Jax tosses 5 shutout innings as Rays near AL East title with a 5-1 victory over the Red Sox",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/griffin-jax-tosses-5-shutout-innings-as-rays-near-al-east-title-with",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-20T20:21:59.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Winnipeg Free Press",
    "slug": "winnipeg-free-press",
    "url": "https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/baseball/2026/09/20/griffin-jax-tosses-5-shutout-innings-as-rays-near-al-east-title-with-a-5-1-victory-over-the-red-sox"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Tampa Bay Rays closer in on AL East title with 5-1 win over Red Sox\n\nGriffin Jax's dominant five shutout innings propelled the Tampa Bay Rays to a 5-1 triumph against the Boston Red Sox on Sunday, bringing them closer to clinching the AL East championship. The victory puts the Rays in contention for their fifth division title when they face the New York Yankees in a doubleheader on Tuesday.\n\nBoston, trailing 32-46 and 15.5 games behind the Rays on June 24, has since rebounded with a 52-25 record. They could still secure a playoff spot on Sunday with a Houston loss. However, Boston's Trevor Story punctured Jax's shutout in the ninth inning with a one-out home run off right-hander Ty Johnson.\n\nJax (8-10) allowed three singles and battled through a bases-loaded situation in the fifth inning, striking out Roman Anthony. Relievers Cole Sulser, Brody Hopkins, and Steven Matz pitched scoreless innings to secure the shutout. The Rays opened the scoring in the first inning with four runs off left-hander Patrick Sandoval (1-7). Jonny DeLuca and Chandler Simpson contributed two-run hits, each driving in runs. Sandoval walked Yandy Diaz and Ryan Vilade in the first, followed by a single to Junior Caminero. He then struck out 21 of his next 23 batters, working through the seventh inning. After a day off on Monday, Boston will send left-hander Payton Tolle (9-6, 3.02) into a home game against the Cleveland Guardians, with Nick Martinez (15-4, 2.94) set to start the opener of the doubleheader in New York, and Drew Rasmussen (15-5, 2.72) scheduled to pitch Game 2.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}