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Porcello, Betts carry Red Sox past Rays

May 6, 2015 - 5:36 AM Boston, MA (SportsNetwork.com) - Former teammates Rick Porcello and Drew Smyly were in a pitchers' duel Tuesday, and Porcello and the Red Sox beat Smyly's Rays, 2-0, thanks to a pair of Mookie Betts home runs.

Porcello (3-2) scattered eight hits -- all singles -- over seven scoreless innings. He struck out six and did not walk a batter as Boston snapped its four-game slide.

"We needed a strong performance and he gave it to us," Red Sox manager John Farrell said of his starter.

Porcello and Smyly were both members of the Tigers from 2012 until Smyly was shipped in a trade with the Rays last season.

Smyly (0-1) did not allow a hit before Betts' laser off the Sports Authority billboard leading off the sixth. It wound up being his last inning despite giving up only two hits and two walks all night.

Betts notched his first career multi-home run game with a moonshot in the eighth. The 22-year-old crushed an Ernesto Frieri offering over the Green Monster in left-center, and Boston's bullpen finished off the shutout.

After Alexi Ogando retired the Rays in order in the eighth, Koji Uehara tossed 1-2-3 ninth to post his fifth save of the year.

The Rays put their first two hitters on in the fourth, but Betts doubled-off Evan Longoria after snagging Logan Forsythe's line drive to center.

All told, Tampa Bay went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and stranded six.

"It was a tough loss," Smyly said. "We just couldn't get that big hit."

Game Notes

Red Sox outfielder Hanley Ramirez sat out after suffering a sprained left shoulder in Monday's game ... Longoria recorded his 1,000th career hit with a single in the fourth ... Smyly has allowed three runs or fewer in all 10 of his starts with the Rays ... Rays pitchers have gone 14 consecutive games since last allowing 10 hits -- tying the club record set in 2008 ... The Rays' Alex Colome will square off against Justin Masterson in the series rubber match on Wednesday.