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Red Sox cap homestand versus Rays

May 6, 2015 - 2:17 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Boston Red Sox hope to cap a nine-game homestand with a second straight victory on Wednesday evening in the finale of a three- game set with the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Red Sox snapped a four-game skid with Tuesday's 2-0 victory over the Rays, moving to 3-5 on their stay at Fenway Park. However, they have not won two in a row since April 20-21.

Mookie Betts helped solve a pitchers' duel between former teammates last night with a pair of solo homers. He connected on Boston's first hit off Tampa Bay starter Drew Smyly with a home run in the sixth inning, then posted his first career multi-homer game with another solo offering in the eighth inning off the Tampa Bay bullpen.

That made a winner out of Rick Porcello, who scattered eight hits -- all singles -- over seven scoreless innings. He struck out six and did not walk a batter.

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

Smyly, a former member of the Detroit Tigers along with Porcello, gave up just two hits and a pair of walks in his six-inning outing.

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

The Rays have lost three of four.

Boston outfielder Hanley Ramirez sat out last night after suffering a sprained left shoulder in Monday's game. He is unlikely to play in this finale as well.

Justin Masterson has yet to lose through five starts this season for the Red Sox and he eyes his first victory since April 20 tonight.

Masterson has not factored into his past two outings despite solid showings. He held Baltimore to three runs over seven innings of a 5-4 loss for his club on April 25, then yielded two runs on six hits and three walks over six frames of Boston's 3-2 loss to the New York Yankees on Friday.

The right-hander is 2-0 with a 4.71 earned run average on the season, but has allowed three or fewer runs in four of his five games. Masterson has struggled to a 2-7 mark and 6.83 ERA in 14 career meetings with the Rays. That includes 10 starts.

The Rays turn to right-hander Alex Colome, who won his season debut on Friday against the Baltimore Orioles.

Though it was technically a road game for Colome and the Rays, the game was played at Tropicana Field due to civil unrest in Baltimore and Colome kept the Orioles off the board for five innings in a 2-0 win. He yielded three hits and did not walk a batter while striking out six.

The 26-year-old righty, who missed the start of the season due to pneumonia, will make the eighth start of his career tonight and it will be his first appearance against the Red Sox.

The Rays won two of three at home over the Red Sox from April 21-23.