S.D. Petersburg, Fla. – Vander Franco hit a three-run homer and doubled his key league debut for the Tampa Bay Race team, falling 9-5 to the Boston Red Sox in the 11th inning on Tuesday and losing the seventh game.
The 20-year-old Franco, considered the best chance of the minority, was tied for fifth against Venezuela’s Eduardo Rodriguez and released his first home in the Majors.
Franco added a double in seventh and had 2 wins in four ad-bats.
Four runs for Boston In the 11th inning, Rafael Divers hit a tough grounder, which was followed by two runs from Pete Fairfax (1-3) between the legs of first paceman Andy Diaz.
Darwinson Hernandez (2-2) won by 1 1/3 innings, and Brandon Lowe retired with 10 and two outs.
As for the Red Sox, Danny Santana scored 4-1. Aruban Sander Bogarts scored two runs 5-3. Puerto Ricans Christian Vasquez 5-0; KK Hernandez 3-1 with the Reserve Bank.
In terms of rays, the Cubans’ Andy Thias scored two runs, 6-2; 5-3 First Randy Arosarena. Dominicans Vander Franco 4-2 with two runs and three Reserve Banks; Manuel Margot of 5-3; Francisco Mejia 3-2 with a Reserve Bank.
