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Rays use 5-run 8th to down Red Sox

Sep 24, 2014 - 6:45 AM Boston, MA (SportsNetwork.com) - Ben Zobrist's two-run double during a five- run eighth inning led the Tampa Bay Rays to a 6-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox in the opener of a three-game set on Tuesday.

Zobrist finished 3-for-4 with a run scored, Matt Joyce homered and James Loney drove in two runs for the Rays, who have won two of their last three games.

Alex Cobb (10-8) surrendered just one run on five hits and two walks with three strikeouts over seven innings to win his sixth straight road decision.

"I knew early on it was one of those nights where I didn't have my best stuff," Cobb said. "But one thing I've started to learn as I've gotten more experience is that I can go out and battle without my best stuff."

Daniel Nava hit an RBI double and Jemile Weeks brought in a run for Boston, which had starter Clay Buchholz (8-10) give up three runs on eight hits and a walk with six strikeouts across 7 2/3 frames.

"Very efficient," Boston manager said of Buchholz. "Things kind of got away from us for the remainder of the (eighth)."

Nick Franklin worked a walk to start the eighth and Brandon Guyer was hit by a pitch two batters later. Zobrist's fly ball to left over the head of Yoenis Cespedes landed for a two-run double. David DeJesus followed with an RBI single.

DeJesus moved up to second on a passed ball and Buchholz's outing ended after plunking Evan Longoria. Loney greeted Tommy Layne with a two-run single to center for a 5-1 score

Mookie Betts doubled with one out in the home half off Brad Boxberger, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Weeks' deep sac fly to left.

Joyce crushed a solo shot to right with one out in the ninth to account for the final score.

In the second, Wil Myers robbed Garin Cecchini of a base hit and stranded a runner at second base with a diving catch in right field to end the frame.

Yunel Escobar, who led off the third with a single up the middle and moved to second on a wild pitch, exited the game with a left knee sprain after he was thrown out by Cespedes on an awkward slide at home plate.

The Red Sox opened the scoring in the fourth. Cespedes got Boston's first hit of the game on a two-out grounder down the first-base line and scored on Nava's double to left.

Game Notes

Cobb has gone 82 innings without allowing a home run, surpassing Jake McGee's previous club record of 76.0 ... Escobar is listed as day-to-day ... Nava extended his hitting streak to eight games ... Buchholz's scoreless innings streak against the Rays ended at 29 2/3 ... Cespedes was ejected by home plate umpire Jeff Nelson after striking out in the bottom of the eighth ... Boston third baseman Will Middlebrooks (hand) and shortstop Xander Bogaerts (neck) were scratched from the lineup ... Tampa Bay leads the season series, 10-7.