Ramirez's Bat and Arm Lead Red Sox

Beckett pitches eight strong innings as Boston continues roll
By Mitch Pritchard,  Newser Staff
Posted May 3, 2008 11:34 PM CDT
Ramirez's Bat and Arm Lead Red Sox
Tampa Bay Rays' left fielder Carl Crawford walks in front of the scoreboard during the eighth inning against the Boston Red Sox in a baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston, Saturday, May 3, 2008.    (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

Manny Ramirez singled in two runs in the first inning to end his longest RBI drought with Boston and Josh Beckett pitched eight innings to help the Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 12-4 last night. Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz each had three hits and Jason Varitek drove in three runs for Boston, which has won four of five after a five-game losing streak.

The Red Sox can complete the three-game sweep this afternoon when Tampa Bay's Scott Kazmir is scheduled to make his first start of the season. Gabe Gross hit a two-run homer and Akinori Iwamura also connected for the Rays, who lost for just the third time in 11 games. Beckett (3-2) allowing four runs and seven hits, struck out five and walked one. (More MLB stories.)

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