All to often this year, the Tampa Bay Rays have failed to put together that big inning when they had the opportunity. Today, the Rays came through, breaking open a close game to win 13-3 over the Boston Red Sox.

After falling behind 1-0, the Rays loaded the bases in the bottom of the second with no outs. Matt Joyce walked, forcing in a run to tie the game, as Tampa appeared poised to jump out to an early lead. However, Daisuke Matsuzaka wriggled out of the jam, striking out Carlos Pena and inducing a double play to escape further harm.

Boston came right back in the top of the third. With runners on first and second, Jacoby Ellsbury continued his hot hitting against the Rays, driving in his second run of the night. An RBI fielder’s choice erased Ellsbury, but the Red Sox took a 3-1 lead. The Rays scored again in the bottom of the inning, cutting the lead to 3-2.

The Rays roughed up Matsuzaka in the bottom of the fourth. Jeff Keppinger led off the inning with a home run to tie the game, and two batters later, Carlos Pena hit a two run home run to give the Rays a 5-3 lead. After Jose Molina drilled a double, Matsuzaka was pulled, having given up five runs on nine hits and a walk over three plus innings.

Tampa broke the game open in the sixth. Four Boston pitchers walked six batters in the frame, leading to a seven run outburst. Desmond Jennings had a two run triple, and scored on an error by Pedro Ciriaco. Bases loaded walks to Pena and Molina forced in runs, as the Rays ended any hopes of a comeback.

Chris Archer picked up his first victory of the season, giving up three runs on five hits and four walks, striking out six in his five innings of work. Keppinger was 3-4 with a home run, two runs scored, and two RBIs. Four Rays had two hits each in the win.

Roberts went 1-2 with a home run, two RBI, and three runs scored, David Price cruised through seven solid innings of work, and the Rays offense exploded as they ran roughshod over the Baltimore Orioles in a 10-1 victory at Camden Yards.

Desmond Jennings homered on the first pitch of the game, sparking a five run top of the first that essentially put the game away before the Orioles came to bat. Roberts’ home run came with two out in the third, and Jose Lobaton added a three run home run in the top of the fifth, the first of his career in his 59th career game. The Rays had ice scream for him when he got back to the dugout. Orioles starting pitcher Miguel Gonzalez was torched over his 2.2 innings of work, giving up 7 earned runs on 7 hits, 2 walks, a wild pitch, and 3 hit batsmen, while somehow striking out 2 hitters.

David Price, meanwhile, cruised after allowing a first inning run, allowing just that one run on 7 hits. Price did not walk a batter, and struck out 10 Orioles as he picked up his 14th win of the year. With the victory, the Rays now find themselves 2.5 games out of the second Wild Card spot.

Game Notes: Jose Lobaton had three hits and four RBI, both career highs. The Rays ten runs in the game were more than they had scored in their previous four games combined and the first time they had reached double digits since July 5th versus the Indians.

After a June where Sean Rodriguez hit .181, he must have been glad to see the calender page turn.

Rodriguez finished 3-4 with a home run, a double, and 2 RBIs, and Desmond Jennings stole 2 bases, including a steal of home in the bottom of the seventh inning, as the Rays rallied back to top the Yankees 7-4.

Rays starter James Shields allowed 3 quick runs through the first three innings, highlighted by a Dewayne Wise home run in the top of the third, before the Rays came back to tie the game in the bottom of the frame. With one run already in, Jeff Keppinger hit a two out single to center, scoring Jennings and B.J. Upton to knot the score at 3-3.

The Yankees scored in the top of the fourth on an Eric Chavez RBI single, taking a short lived 4-3 lead. Following a Jose Molina base hit, Rodriguez got his night kicked off with a two run homer, putting the Rays ahead for good. The Rays expanded the lead in the bottom of the seventh, as Jennings stole home on the back end of a double steal, and Zobrist drove in Upton with a base hit.

Shields survived a rocky start to the night to end up lasting 7 innings, giving up 4 earned runs on 10 hits while striking out 5 batters. Yankees starter Ivan Nova was victimized by 3 Yankee errors behind him, as he lasted 6+ innings, giving up 6 runs, but only 3 were earned. Nova allowed 7 hits and 2 walks, while recording 5 strikeouts.