ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- On Friday night, the bullpen saved the Red Sox. On Saturday night, it did them in.
Matt Albers walked in the tying run and allowed the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly and Andrew Miller allowed a solo homer an inning later as the Red Sox fell to the Tampa Bay Rays, 5-3.
The Rays managed just five hits, but some walks, a Red Sox error and two sacrifice flies resulted in their five runs.
The Sox led 3-2 in the seventh when starter Clay Buchholz put the first two Rays on base, followed by a sacrifice bunt which moved both baserunners over. After an intentional walk to load the bases, Albers walked light-hitting Jose Lobaton (.222), forcing in one run. A sacrifice fly to deep center from Elliot Johnson gave the Rays the lead for good.
B.J. Upton then added an insurance run with a solo homer in the eighth off Andrew Miller.
Buchholz pitched well in his first start in nearly a month, racking up eight strikeouts with just one walk in 6 13 innings.
Will Middlebrooks smoked his 11th homer of the year off David Price in the fourth to give the Sox a 2-1 lead.
Boston Red Sox
The other Red Sox run came in the sixth when Cody Ross bluffed a steal of home, drawing an errant throw from Price and enabling him to score.
A costly error by Mike Aviles -- his second in as many nights - gave the Rays a run in the fifth.