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Red Sox seek to cash in against Price, Rays

Jun 16, 2011 - 2:52 PM (Sports Network) - The Boston Red Sox were finally able to get the better of the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday. Now the current American League leaders will shoot for a second consecutive win over their recent nemesis when the two divisional foes wrap up a three-game series from Tropicana Field this evening.

The defending AL East champion Rays had taken the first three meetings between the rivals this season, but the Red Sox were able to exact some revenge behind last night's magnificent performance by Josh Beckett. The Boston ace twirled a one-hitter for his fifth career shutout in leading his team to a 3-0 victory.

Beckett allowed only a single Tampa Bay baserunner -- an infield single to Reid Brignac in the third inning -- and set down the final 19 batters he faced in notching his first complete game since July 21, 2009. The veteran right- hander added six strikeouts and needed just 97 pitches to go the distance.

Kevin Youkilis gave Beckett all the support he would need in the top of the seventh, when the third baseman launched a three-run homer off Jeremy Hellickson to break a scoreless deadlock.

"I told myself to sit back and if [Hellickson] threw me a fastball I was going to turn on it," recalled Youkilis. "I was fortunate to get a good piece of it."

Hellickson pitched well in a losing cause, with the rookie surrendering just four hits and a pair of walks before being removed after seven frames. His effort followed a gem by teammate James Shields, who limited the Red Sox to five hits over nine innings in Tampa Bay's 4-0 triumph during Tuesday's series opener.

"This whole series has been really all about [pitching]," said Rays manager Joe Maddon. "That's why I think we're going to be back-and-forth with these guys all season.

Rays designated hitter Johnny Damon went 0-for-4 off Beckett in Wednesday's loss, which snapped the one-time Boston fan favorite's franchise-record streak of reaching base at 39 consecutive games.

Boston improved its AL-best record to 40-27 and prevailed for the 10th time in its last 11 contests. However, the Red Sox have dropped 10 of their 14 most recent matchups to the Rays and haven't posted wins over Tampa Bay in back-to- back days since registering a three-game sweep at the Trop from May 24-26 of last season.

The Red Sox may have their hands full in trying to accomplish that feat tonight, with Tampa Bay set to send the formidable David Price to the mound in the finale. The 2010 All-Star owns a 4-2 record with a 3.18 earned run average over six career regular-season starts against Boston and fired 7 2/3 innings of two-run ball to down the Sox at Fenway Park back in April.

Price wasn't at his best last time out, however, when the standout lefty was reached for four runs in six innings of a no-decision at Baltimore this past Saturday. In his three previous outings, the former No. 1 overall pick went 2-1 with an excellent 1.64 ERA and racked up 27 strikeouts over a span of 22 innings.

Boston skipper Terry Francona will counter with an All-Star of his own in Clay Buchholz, who returned from an extended rest with a very sharp showing at Toronto on Friday. The hard-throwing righty held the Blue Jays to one run and only three hits while fanning six over seven innings to help Boston record a 5-1 win.

Buchholz had been rocked for six runs (five earned) over 4 2/3 innings in his prior start, a no-decision against Oakland on June 3, then was given two extra days off because of a sore back.

The 26-year-old is 3-2 with an impressive 1.81 ERA in seven lifetime encounters with the Rays and 2-1 with a 2.30 ERA over four career visits to Tropicana Field. He did not face Tampa Bay in the teams' earlier series this season.