Red Sox News

Youkilis And Lester Help Red Sox Beat Kazmir, Rays

BOSTON (AP) ― Kevin Youkilis had four RBIs and Jon Lester pitched six innings to lift the Boston Red Sox to a 7-3 victory over Tampa Bay on Sunday, spoiling the return of Rays ace Scott Kazmir.

After being swept for the first time in franchise history by Tampa Bay last weekend, the Red Sox returned the favor and outscored the Rays in the series 26-10. None of the Tampa Bay starters in the three-game series made it out of the fourth inning.

Lester (2-2) allowed a run and four hits with three walks. His 13-inning scoreless streak was snapped when Carlos Pena hit his seventh home run of the season, cutting Boston's lead to 4-1 in the sixth.

Kazmir was chased after allowing four runs in four innings in his season debut. He had been out since straining his elbow in February.

Jonathan Papelbon got the final four outs to record his ninth save in nine chances for Boston.

Youkilis had a pair of doubles and a solo shot, his third home run of the season off Dan Wheeler in the seventh inning for a 5-3 lead. His two-run double in the eighth off Scott Dohmann extended Boston's lead to 7-3.

Tampa Bay scored a pair in the seventh off Manny Delcarmen. Jason Bartlett hit a one out single and then scored on Akinori Iwamura's tripled to deep center. Hideki Okajima relieved Delcarmen, but was greeted with an RBI single by Carl Crawford to cut the lead to 4-3. Okajima struck out B.J. Upton and Pena to end the inning.

After a Youkilis sacrifice fly gave Boston a 1-0 lead in the first inning, the Sox added two more in the third. Dustin Pedroia led off the inning with a single, Youkilis doubled and then Pedroia scored on a passed ball by Kazmir. Manny Ramirez then doubled off the wall to knock in Youkilis for a 3-0 lead.

Coco Crisp scored Boston's fourth run when he led off the fourth with a single, stole second and advanced to third on an error before scoring on a Pedroia groundout.

Tampa Bay was swept in a three-game series for the first time this season and has dropped four of six.

Boston stole five bases and finished 5-1 on the home stand.

Notes: @ David Ortiz was scratched from the starting lineup with tightness in his right knee. Kazmir was activated from the disabled list and OF Justin Ruggiano was optioned to the minors. Tampa Bay has used 35 players on the active roster this season, most in the majors. Tampa Bay has only won two series in 28 chances in Boston. Pedroia has seven hits in his last twelve at bats after going 0-for-11 in the previous series against Toronto.

(© 2008 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)