Mookie Betts' value to this Boston Red Sox team has increased exponentially over the month of June, a career-defining stretch for the center fielder who just continues to improve game by game. 

With Friday's series opener against the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays knotted up at three runs apiece in the top of the 10th inning, last week's AL Player of the Week drove an inside pitch down the left field line for a double, scoring on a subsequent base hit by second baseman Brock Holt to provide Boston with a spirit-lifting victory over the Rays. 

While it was the only hit of the night for Betts, it was a crucial one, as the Red Sox survived after relinquishing a 3-1 advantage in the sixth inning. Starter Rick Porcello, who entered the contest with an ERA of 5.61, virtually shut down the Rays until surrendering two runs in the sixth, exiting the game with a line of three earned runs on nine hits, a walk, and five strikeouts in six innings. 

Tampa Bay starter Alex Colome allowed three earned runs as well. However, his damage was caused by the five walks he allowed in addition to the four hits he yielded. Red Sox first baseman Mike Napoli walked three times over the course of the game, ending up 1-for-2 with two runs. Holt, left fielder Alejandro De Aza, and recently promoted right fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. each accounted for an RBI for Boston. 

On the other side, both second baseman Logan Forsythe and shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera garnered three hits for the Rays, while third baseman Evan Longoria went 2-for-5 with a run. 

The floodgates were lifted early in the contest as both clubs placed runs on the board in the second inning. After a Napoli walk lead off the top of the second, De Aza doubled to deep left center, putting the Red Sox on the board. The recently acquired left fielder then advanced to third on a groundout by catcher Blake Swihart, scoring on an ensuing sacrifice fly by Bradley Jr. 

Tampa Bay inflicted their damage with two outs in the bottom half of the stanza with a Cabrera single advancing Forsythe (single with one out) to third, and a subsequent double by first baseman Marc Krauss plating the Rays' first run of the game, lessening the Red Sox lead to 2-1. 

Boston would increase this advantage to 3-1 in the fourth inning, as Napoli worked a leadoff walk once again and advanced to third on a one-out base hit by Swihart. The Red Sox then executed a picture-perfect double steal to score the run, with Swihart sacrificing himself at second base while Napoli reached home plate unscathed to augment the Tampa Bay deficit. 

Tampa Bay advanced runners to scoring position in both the eighth and ninth innings. However, the Boston bullpen was able to escape the damage in both cases. In the eighth, Longoria was stranded at second after leading off the stanza with a single and moving forward on a wild pitch by Junichi Tazawa with one out, the error failed to affect the outcome of the game. Cabrera would lead off the bottom of the ninth with a double down the third base line, however reliever Craig Breslow retired both catcher Curt Casali and leadoff man Kevin Kiermaier before Alexi Ogando (W, 2-0) induced a Butler line out to end the inning. 

The following inning would decide the outcome of the contest as Betts laced an inside fastball from the arm of Rays reliever Steven Geltz (L, 1-3) to left field for a double, scoring on Holt's line drive single to left center. Red Sox closer Koji Uehara made quick work of the heart of Tampa Bay's order in the bottom of the 10th, striking out the side for his 15th save of the season. 

Tomorrow, Boston's Wade Miley (7-6, 4.50 ERA) challenges the Rays' Matt Andriese (2-2, 3.79 ERA) at 4:10 PM ET at Tropicana Field.