ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Red Sox late-season temporary detour away from embarrassment is apparently over.
After winning four of their first five games of their next-to-last road trip, the Sox promptly did a face plant Wednesday night at Tropicana field, drubbed by the Tampa Bay Rays, 13-3.
The same basic Tampa Bay lineup -- give or take a couple of players -- that was limited to just three hits Tuesday, banged out 15 hits, including six extra base hits.
Of course, the Rays had some help from a laundry list of Red Sox pitchers, who allowed nine walks, including six in the Rays' seven run-sixth. The six walks in an inning were the most by Red Sox pitchers since at least 1984.
Daisuke Matsuzaka, who has won one of his 10 starts this season, was shelled for five runs on nine hits in just three innings plus of work. His ERA for the season jumped to 7.68.
Jacoby Ellsbury had three hits and knocked in two of the three Red Sox runs.
When catcher Guillermo Quiroz entered the game in the seventh, it set a franchise record for the most players used in a season: 56.
The loss, the 82nd of the season, also guaranteed that the Red Sox will finish under .500 for the first time since 1997.