Pedroia, Red Sox Cool Off Red-Hot Rays

Dustin Pedroia drove in three runs, including a two-run single in a five-run fourth inning, and the Boston Red Sox earned a 7-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays last night. Brandon Moss hit a solo homer, and Pedroia had a double and two singles for the Red Sox. Edwin Jackson gave up six runs on nine hits in four-plus innings for the Rays.

Boston had 13 hits on Friday and won for just the third time in nine games. Tampa Bay, coming off its first winning April in club history (14-12), lost for only the second time in 10 games. Clay Buchholz (2-2) allowed one run, five hits, walked four and struck out six in 5 1/3 innings. Jonathan Papelbon, the fifth Boston pitcher, worked a perfect ninth. (More MLB stories.)