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Ross, Red Sox take down Rays

May 18, 2012 - 5:57 AM St. Petersburg, FL (Sports Network) - Cody Ross hit a solo homer and drove in four on Thursday and the Red Sox downed the Rays, 5-3, in the finale of a two- game series.

Felix Doubront (4-1) earned the win, allowing two runs -- one earned -- on six hits over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked four. Alfredo Aceves recorded the game's final four outs to pick up his eighth save of the season.

Marlon Byrd also had a homer for Boston, which had won five straight before falling in the opener of this brief series on Wednesday.

Matt Moore (1-4) gave up three runs over six innings in the loss. B.J. Upton went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI for Tampa Bay, which saw its four-game win streak come to an end.

"I thought he finished really strong. That's a good game to build off of," Rays manager Joe Maddon said of Moore, adding, "He definitely pitched well enough to win."

The Red Sox took a 1-0 lead in the first with help from Moore, who allowed singles to Mike Aviles and David Ortiz. He then hit Adrian Gonzalez to load the bases and issued two-out walk to Ross to push across a run.

Byrd led off the second inning with his first homer of the season and Ross' two-out blast in the third made it 3-0.

With two down in the bottom half, Upton reached on catcher's interference by Kelly Shoppach, moved to second when Luke Scott was hit by a pitch and scored on Jeff Keppinger's line drive single to left.

The Rays made it 3-2 in the fourth when Sean Rodriguez hit a leadoff single, advanced to second on a groundout and crossed the plate on Rich Thompson's two-out single. A pair of walks followed, loading the bases, but Scott lined out to Gonzalez at first base to end the inning.

Scott failed to deliver again in the sixth. Ben Zobrist singled with two down and advanced to third on Upton's double, which chased Doubront. But Rich Hill induced Scott into an inning-ending fly out to left field.

"He got a little out of sorts, but he's a good pitcher. After all that nonsense, to only give up two runs: that's a good job," Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said of his starter.

Dustin Pedroia began the eighth with a base hit and Ortiz followed with a walk. Will Middlebrooks advanced the runners with a groundout and they scored when Ross squibbed a grounder up the middle.

Upton hit an RBI single in the home half to make it 5-3, but Aceves grounded out Scott with runners at second and third to end the inning.

Game Notes

Interleague play begins for both teams on Friday. The Red Sox travel to Philadelphia for a three-game series with the Phillies while the Rays will host the Atlanta Braves for three games.