ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- It took five of their six relievers, but the Red Sox held off the Tampa Bay Rays, 3-1, in the first game of the second half of the season.
After Franklin Morales shut out the Rays for five innings -- but needed 90 pitches in doing so -- manager Bobby Valentine turned to his relievers and, thanks to rest during the All-Star break, began matching up in the sixth inning.
Scott Atchison, Andrew Miller, Matt Albers, Vicente Padilla and Alfredo Aceves combined to get the final 12 outs, with Aceves notching his 20th save of the season. The only run scored off the relievers came off Atchison, and it was unearned thanks to a two-base error by shortstop Mike Aviles in the sixth.
David Ortiz gave the Red Sox a 1-0 lead with a mammoth homer deep into the right bleachers in the first inning.
A bases-loaded single by Pedro Ciriaco in the second pushed the Red Sox lead to 3-0. Ciriaco enjoyed a three-hit night and in just four games with the Sox, has 10 hits and six RBI.