The Red Sox put up a three-spot in the sixth and pulled within a run courtesy of Alex Cora's eighth-inning homer, but Boston dropped the finale to Tampa Bay despite having Rays-killer Tim Wakefield on the mound. The knuckleballer took his first loss at Tropicana Field after allowing four runs on seven hits in five innings.
Tim Wakefield made 19 appearances at Tropicana Field, but the Rays had yet to beat him. But Delmon Young took the lefty deep in the second inning, giving his team a lead it would never relinquish en route to a broom-busting win. Jonny Gomes, Jorge Velandia and Josh Wilson all contributed RBI hits behind winning pitcher Edwin Jackson.
BATTING 2B: Iwamura (20, Wakefield), Young (38, Wakefield). HR: Young (13, 2nd inning off Wakefield, 1 on, 0 out). TB: Iwamura 2; Velandia; Upton; Young 7; Gomes 2; Guzman 2. RBI: Young 2 (93), Gomes (46), Velandia (4), Wilson (24). 2-out RBI: Gomes; Velandia. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Pena; Young 2; Wilson. S: Wilson. GIDP: Wilson; Upton. Team LOB: 7.
BASERUNNING SB: Upton (21, 2nd base off Wakefield/Mirabelli), Young (10, 2nd base off Timlin/Mirabelli), Iwamura (12, 2nd base off Wakefield/Mirabelli). CS: Gomes (4, 2nd base by Wakefield/Mirabelli).