By Sean McAdam
CSNNE.com Red Sox InsiderFollow @sean_mcadam
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Red Sox survived a rocky first inning from John Lackey and their defense and outscored the Tampa Bay Rays 7-1 over the final eight innings to take a 9-5 win at Tropicana Field.
The Sox got homers from Josh Reddick, Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia, giving them seven homers in the first two games since the All-Star break. Those seven homers have accounted for nine of the 15 runs they've scored in those two games.
Lackey overcame a throwing error and a two other misplays by Marco Scutaro in the first as the Rays took a 3-0 lead. He allowed only one more run over his final 4 23 innings to capture his second win in a row. The last time Lackey won back-to-back starts was June 5-June 17 when he won three straight.
James Shields, who shut down the Red Sox with a complete game shutout the last time the teams met here, was pounded for six runs in six innings.
Randy Williams, who was called up Saturday to take Bobby Jenks' spot on the roster, bailed Lackey out of a two-on, two-out jam in the sixth when he got lefty Casey Kotchman on an inning-ending groundout.
Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon combined for the final seven outs.
STAR OF THE GAME: Josh Reddick
In a balanced attack, Reddick had just one of the Red Sox' seven hits, but the timing couldn't have been better.
Boston Red Sox
The Sox had fallen behind 3-0 in the first and it looked like a long afternoon. But Reddick hammered a pitch out to right, making it a one-run ballgame and igniting the Red Sox' comeback.
HONORABLE MENTION: David Ortiz
Ortiz lined a double to the right-center alley in the third inning, scoring two runs and giving the Red Sox their first lead of the game -- and first of the series, for that matter.
GOAT OF THE GAME: James Shields
Shields shut the Red Sox out on just five hits with a complete game shutout last month, but was tagged for six runs and two homers in six innings Saturday.
It was Shields's fourth straight loss, though he pitched well enough to win in each of the previous three.
TURNING POINT: Williams saves the day
The Rays had the tying run at the plate when Randy Williams came in to make his Red Sox debut.
Williams got Casey Kotchman on an inning-ending groundout, stranding two runners in the process.
BY THE NUMBERS: 3
Dustin Pedroia homered for the third straight game, marking the first time he's homered in three consecutive games within the same season.
QUOTE OF NOTE:
"I'm not trying to hit home runs at all. It might look like it, but trust me, I'm not.'' -- Dustin Pedroia.
Sean McAdam can be reached at smcadam@comcastsportsnet.com. Follow Sean on Twitter at http:twitter.comsean_mcadam