Span’s 3-run triple helps Rays rally in 8th past Red Sox 6-4

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The way the Tampa Bay Rays were cleaning house and slashing payroll, Denard Span spent much of spring training wondering if he’d ever play a game for his hometown team.
The biggest name acquired by the budget-minded club during a winter of revamping the roster survived the purge and made a huge splash in his debut on opening day, lining a bases-loaded triple to highlight a six-run eighth inning that carried the Rays over the Boston Red Sox 6-4 Thursday.
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