It looked like Josh Beckett was going to make our lives miserable in the first inning again on Sunday.
Three straight hits and Tampa Bay had a run (which tied the game), and then another single with the bases loaded gave the Rays a 3-1 lead.
But Beckett settled down after the first and allowed Tampa Bay nothing more, and Mike Aviles and Daniel Nava both blasted home runs off James (My Next Big Game Will Be My First) Shields.
Beckett went six innings, and the Sox pen shut the Rays the rest of the way (although Alfredo Aceves was screwing around in the 9th but got the game finished with no further damage) for a 7-3 win, and series win in St. Pete.
New York lost so the Red Sox are now 9 1/2 games back. The Orioles lost so the Sox are 1 1/2 back in the Wild Card race.
Tomorrow we welcome back Kevin Youkilis to his old stomping grounds (and could the Smartest Guy In The Room keep his trap shut tomorrow as well?), and also welcome back Carl Crawford on the same night, as he will be activated from the DL on Monday.