Tampa's Cedric Mullins, left, tries to elude Boston's Trevor Story in a rundown during Sunday's game at Fenway Park. (AP photo)

BOSTON (AP) — Nearly two years late, Mickey Gasper got his first Fenway Park hit — and then some.

The only problem was he was just about the only one hitting in the Red Sox lineup on Sunday in a 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park.

Junior Caminero hit a solo homer over the Green Monster, Nick Martinez pitched one-run ball into the sixth inning and the Rays captured the rain-shortened series.

But you might say the Sox loss had a Silver lining, as Gasper, who was the Futures Collegiate League Player of the Year in 2016 with the Nashua Silver Knights, had two doubles and a single, that single driving in the only Red Sox run of the day.

He was slated to start at catcher and bat sixth on Saturday but the game was rained out. However, Sox interim manager Chad Tracy kept the lineup the same for Sunday and Gasper, who was called up on Thursday from Triple A Worcester, made the most of it — as Tracy thought he would.

“Phenomenal job,” Tracy said. “Did a phenomenal job handling himself behind the plate, great. That quality is part of the package I expected.”

Gasper was with the Red Sox two years ago for a few weeks but did everything but get a hit. Sunday he used the Green Monster, taking the ball the other way.

Meanwhile, Tampa Bay won for the 14th time in 16 games after their seven-game winning streak was stopped Friday. The Rays gave up three or fewer runs for a franchise-record 16th straight game, the first team to accomplish the feat since 2010 San Francisco Giants did it in 18 straight.

It was also a special day for another Red Sox player. Pitching two years and a day after his mother, Jina, died following a nearly eight-year battle with colon cancer, Boston starter Payton Tolle wore his pant legs near his knees showing his pink socks on Mother’s Day.

Martinez (4-1) went 5 2/3 innings, allowing seven hits with four strikeouts. Bryan Baker pitched the ninth for his 10th save despite putting two runners on.

Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras left with a bruised right hand after getting hit by a fastball.

Tolle (1-2) gave up three runs in five innings, with seven hits and four strikeouts. He took the mound for the start with the song “Mother” by the band Danzig playing.

Resuming the series after a rainout Saturday, Caminero hit a curveball into the last row of Monster seats in the first for his 11th homer.

Ben Williamson added an RBI single when the Rays made it 3-0 in the third. Cedric Mullins’ safety squeeze made it 4-0 in the sixth.

Tolle was coming off his first big league victory in his previous start, when he held Detroit to one hit with eight strikeouts.

Up next

Rays: RHP Drew Rasmussen (2-1, 2.95 ERA) is set to start the opener of a three-game series at Toronto Monday. RHP Kevin Gausman (2-2, 3.09) is scheduled for the Blue Jays.

Red Sox: Haven’t announced a starter for Tuesday against Philadelphia.

(Telegraph Staff Writer Tom King contributed to this report.)