• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Rays pound Red Sox; extend AL East advantage

Sep 18, 2008 - 4:38 AM ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Ticker) -- Willy Aybar, Gabe Gross and Fernando Perez each homered as the Rays defeated the Boston Red Sox, 10-3, on Wednesday.

After losing the series opener to Boston, 13-5, the Rays (90-60) won the final two games to open a two-game lead over the Red Sox (89-63) atop the American League East.

With Minnesota's loss at Cleveland, Tampa Bay also reduced its magic number to three to clinch a playoff berth and 10 to win the AL East. The Rays host the Twins (82-70) in a four-game series and can clinch a playoff berth with two wins.

"We win the season series (against the Red Sox), which has an impact, potentially, and furthermore it's winning the (current) series again two out of three," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said.

All of the Rays' home runs came in the first three innings off knuckleballer Tim Wakefield (9-11).

"We've gotten so many good games out of (Wakefield)," Boston manager Terry Francona said. "I thought their approach was pretty good and then he left a few up and they started whacking the ball pretty good."

Aybar had never faced Wakefield before, but Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon decided to start him on a hunch. Aybar homered on the first pitch from Wakefield, with his two-run home run giving Tampa Bay a 3-2 lead in the first.

Gross and Perez added back-to-back homers in the second, making it 5-2.

"Perez has done a tremendous job," Maddon said. "He's doing more than I expected, quite frankly."

Aybar and Perez, both switch hitters, opted to hit righthanded against the righthanded Wakefield.

"It's been really exciting," Perez said. "It's been exciting to be called up and creating historic things. It's been icing on the cake.

"This is awesome. I'm just out here contributing. This is bigger than any one player."

Aybar, who finished with three RBI, and Perez each added an RBI single in the third to put the game away.

David Ortiz hit two homers off Tampa Bay starter Matt Garza and accounted for all three runs for the Red Sox. He also had two of Boston's six hits off four Rays pitchers.

"It was huge for us to get three runs in the first, especially since I gave up two runs in the first," Garza said. "It kind of made a nice little cushion."

Garza left with two outs in the fifth with two on when Ortiz came to the plate for a third time. Grant Balfour (5-2) retired the slugger on a fly to center to keep Tampa Bay's lead at 8-3.

"I thought it was the big play of the game," Francona said. "I'm sure they thought it was too, that's why Balfour was in the game. It was a huge at bat."

Balfour allowed one hit in two innings and struck out two as three relievers combined for 4 1/3 scoreless innings.

Wakefield lasted only 2 1/3 innings, the second time in his last three starts that he has failed to reach the fourth inning. The veteran righthander allowed six hits and six runs while striking out two.

"It is what it is," Wakefield said. "The offense scores two in the first and I gave up the lead. I didn't make the right pitches at the right time."