Jake Odorizzi pitched seven strong innings, Joey Butler hit his first career homer and Tampa Bay's offense perked up a bit in the Rays' 5-1 win over the Boston Red Sox on Monday night.
David DeJesus drove in a pair of runs for Tampa Bay, which scored just four runs in a three-game set this past weekend against Baltimore.
Boston left fielder Hanley Ramirez was injured in the first inning and left the game with a sprained left shoulder after he ran into a padded side wall attempting to make a catch.
The Rays have been held to two or fewer runs in nearly half of their games.
Odorizzi (3-2) gave up one run, seven hits and struck out six. He matched a Rays' club record by not allowing a homer for the sixth straight start.
Xander Bogaerts had an RBI triple for the Red Sox, who lost a season-high four straight and nine of 12.
Clay Buchholz (1-4) gave up five runs in 6 1-3 innings, raising his ERA to 6.03.
The Rays jumped out to a 4-0 lead with two runs in each of the first two innings.
James Loney was credited with a double when his slicing fly ball down the line was originally caught by Ramirez, but the ball popped out as he hit the wall. Evan Longoria followed with an RBI double and DeJesus an RBI single.
In the second inning, Butler hit a two-run homer into the Green Monster seats.
Boston cut it to 4-1 in the second on consecutive triples by Brock Holt and Bogaerts.
Buchholz didn't make it out of the third inning in his previous start, allowing five runs - four earned - in a loss last Tuesday.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rays: LHP Jake McGee, who had offseason elbow surgery, is expected to make his third rehab appearance at Triple-A Durham on Tuesday. ... RF Steven Souza Jr. was hit by a pitch on the right forearm, but stayed in the game.
Red Sox: Manager John Farrell said RF Shane Victorino, on the 15-day DL with a strained right hamstring, took BP and did "more intense running." The plan is still to have him start a rehab stint in Double-A Portland on Friday.