The Red Sox managed to earn a 7-7 tie against the Rays despite sending not a single starter to Port Charlotte for the last game of March.
With the Sox' top players electing to stay behind in Fort Myers and participate in the Triple-A level game rather than make the short trip to the Rays' spring training home, Boston sent a roster full of replacements up north to take on Wade Davis and the Rays.
Getting the start for the Red Sox, Ross Ohlendorf perhaps showed why he has been nowhere near the rotation conversation this spring. After being granted a 1-0 lead on doubles by Pedro Ciriaco and Darnell McDonald, Ohlendorf would allow runs in the second, third, and fourth innings, getting hit particularly hard in the fourth as a walk and three straight doubles allowed the Rays to take a 5-1 lead.
The Sox would quickly fight back in the top of the fifth, with three singles and an error allowing them to recoup all three of the runs the Rays had just scored. Michael Bowden would surrender another tally in the bottom half of the inning, but with the Sox striking for two more in the sixth, the score was evened up at 6-6.
With Franklin Morales working a scoreless bottom half of the sixth, picking Sean Rodriguez off first to record the third out, the Sox seized the opportunity to take the lead for the first time since the second inning come the seventh. A double from Kelly Shoppach brought the run into scoring position, with young infielder Sean Coyle bringing it home with a line drive single to put the Sox up 7-6.
Unfortunately for the Red Sox, Tony Pena could not hold the lead, allowing a homer to Luke Scott in the bottom of the inning to even the score. With neither side striking again in the next two innings, the game ended in a tie.