Youkilis and Ortiz homer as Red Sox cool off Rays

Associated Press

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.

Kevin Youkilis and David Ortiz homered to back the strong pitching of Clay Buchholz and lead the resurgent Boston Red Sox to a 6-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night.

The Red Sox beat baseball’s top team for the first time in five tries, climbing a season-best four games over .500 (25-21) with their third straight win on a difficult road trip that began in Philadelphia.

Buchholz (6-3) won his eighth consecutive road start dating to last August, the longest such streak by a Red Sox pitcher since Roger Clemens won nine in a row from July 18, 1992 to April 20, 1993.

The right-hander allowed one run — Carlos Pena’s eighth homer — and six hits over six innings.

Hideki Okajima and Daniel Bard didn’t allow any baserunners the rest of the way.

Ortiz homered for the fifth time in his last nine games, hitting a solo shot off Wade Davis (4-4) in the second inning. Davis walked in a run and yielded RBI singles to Adrian Beltre and Jeremy Hermida during a three-run third that put the Red Sox up 4-0.

Youkilis, who is batting .400 (12 for 30) with five homers and 12 RBIs over his last nine games, made it 6-0 with a two-run shot off reliever Lance Cormier in the fourth.

Boston’s Dustin Pedroia had three hits after beginning the night in an 0-for-19 slide.