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Haynes powers Rays past Red Sox in 11 innings

Apr 26, 2008 - 4:38 AM ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Ticker) -- Nathan Haynes admits he doesn't have many major league highlights to chose from. But Friday night's will be at the top of his list for some time.

Haynes' RBI single in the bottom of the 11th inning scored Carl Crawford as the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Boston Red Sox, 5-4, on Friday.

The Rays (12-11) won their fourth consecutive game and moved one game above .500, matching their best start in franchise history after 23 games.

"It's huge," said Haynes, who is in his second major league season. "How many times do you get that opportunity? It's an amazing feeling.

"It's the best RBI (of my major league career). I only have (four). It was my first game-winning RBI. I'm sure I'll remember it for a while."

So will the Red Sox, who blew multiple chances to avoid a third consecutive loss.

Crawford led off the 11th with a single and stole second. After Mike Timlin (2-2) walked B.J. Upton, Haynes singled to right field, easily scoring Crawford.

"It was a situation where it was obvious he would get a good hit to pitch," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said, referring to why he did not have Haynes sacrifice.

"I thought Haynes would bunt," Boston manager Terry Francona said. "And then we could go from there, and he didn't. The kid took a nice swing and the game's over."

Besides scoring the game-winner, Crawford had three hits, including two triples.

Both teams wasted opportunities in the ninth inning. With runners on first and second and one out, Tampa Bay's Dan Wheeler retired David Ortiz on a flyout and struck out Manny Ramirez.

"In such a well-played game, you want to go out there and put up a zero," Wheeler said.

In the bottom of the inning, Eric Hinske flew out to the warning track in right field with the bases loaded, sending the contest to extra innings.

The Red Sox also grounded into inning-ending double plays in the 10th and 11th.

"We asked a lot of a lot of people," Francona said. "You get into extra innings and we had our chances, and we couldn't shove a run across so we could go to (Jonathan Papelbon)."

Tim Wakefield, who owns a 19-3 lifetime record against the Rays, allowed four runs - three earned - and six hits in six innings with five walks and one strikeout.

Pitching for the first time since suffering nerve irritation in his right elbow on April 8, Tampa Bay's Matt Garza went five innings, allowing three runs, five hits and three walks with one strikeout.

Ramirez and Kevin Cash each had three of Boston's 10 hits. Ramirez increased his league-leading average to .370.

"This was a tough one," Cash said.