St. Petersburg, FL (Sports Network) - David Price pitched into the eighth inning and Evan Longoria homered as Tampa Bay got by Boston, 6-4, in the finale of a three-game series from Tropicana Field.
Carl Crawford, Carlos Pena, Sean Rodriguez and B.J. Upton also knocked in a run each for the Rays, who swept the set and have won seven of eight overall.
Price (12-4) lasted 7 2/3 innings and allowed eight hits and a pair of runs while fanning 10 and walking one. Matt Garza earned his first career save by recording the final two outs of the contest.
"Every sweep is big," Price said. "We wanted to win the series, but the sweep is even better."
Mike Cameron collected three hits including a home run and drove in two for the Red Sox, who skidded to their fourth straight loss and fifth in seven.
Tim Wakefield (3-7) was tagged in the loss to the tune of four hits and six runs with six walks over 5 2/3 frames.
"We had a lot of walks and we didn't make all the plays," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said.
Cameron's one-out homer brought Boston within 6-2 in the seventh, and in the ninth Daniel Nava tripled then Cameron brought him home with a fly to right against Grant Balfour.
Randy Choate came on and allowed a pinch single to J.D. Drew and Garza was called upon. Drew later advanced on defensive indifference, then scored on a two-out RBI double from Darnell McDonald. David Ortiz walked but Kevin Youkilis lofted a harmless fly to center to end the game.
Longoria's leadoff homer in the fourth snapped a scoreless tie, then Pena walked and stole second before coming home on Upton's single.
Tampa tacked on three more in the fifth. Two walks and a fly left runners on the corners before a passed ball plated one run. Longoria was given a free pass then Pena followed with an RBI single and Rodriguez hit into a run- scoring fielder's choice.
Ortiz smacked an RBI double to get the Sox on the board in the sixth, but that was countered by an RBI single by Crawford in the home half.
Game Notes
Tampa Bay has taken eight of 12 games over Boston this season...It was the second time this year the Rays swept the Sox, after taking four in a row at Fenway from April 17-19...Red Sox manager Terry Francona remains stuck on 899 managerial wins...The Rays remain home to host Cleveland on Thursday and the Red Sox head to Toronto on Friday.
