ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Wade Davis went to a new pitch and finally had success against the Boston Red Sox.

Davis threw a six-hitter, John Jaso hit a three-run homer and the Tampa Bay Rays moved within 5½ games of AL wild-card leading Boston with a 7-2 victory over the Red Sox on Friday night.

“It’s actually the first time I’ve really started throwing a cutter,” Davis said. “I’ve always thrown a slider and we just flattened it out a little bit to stay in the strike zone more. It ended up being pretty effective.”

Davis (10-8) struck out eight in his second career complete game. The right-hander, who had his other complete game on Sept. 17, 2009, had gone 0-2 with an 11.12 ERA in three previous starts against Boston. Tampa Bay pitchers have 15 complete games this season.

“He had a pretty good cutter going,” Red Sox Manager Terry Francona said. “Threw it outside, inside and just ate us up.”

Jaso put the Rays ahead 3-0 with a three-run homer off John Lackey (12-12) in the second. He entered 8 for 37 (.216) in 14 games since returning from a strained right oblique last month.

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Boston has lost five of six.

After two more games in Florida this weekend, the Red Sox will host Tampa Bay in a four-games series that starts Thursday at Fenway Park.

“We do believe,” Rays Manager Joe Maddon said. “It’s all about one at a time. But obviously we have to make a big dent with these seven games.”

Rays designated hitter Johnny Damon was back in the lineup after missing the previous three games because of a sore right leg. He had an infield single during the third that moved him past Doc Cramer into 62nd place on the all-time hits with 2,706.

Damon and Matt Joyce had RBI singles in the third to made it 5-0. Jaso later in the inning hit a two-out shot with the bases loaded off Lackey’s left leg, but the pitcher recovered to pick up the ball and throw the Rays’ catcher out at first.

Lackey left with a bruised calf and was replaced by Scott Atchison to start the fourth. Lackey, loser of three consecutive starts, gave up five runs, five hits and three walks on 69 pitches.

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The Red Sox have not ruled out Lackey making his next scheduled start.

Jacoby Ellsbury extended his hitting streak to 14 games with an RBI infield single during a two-run sixth that got Boston within 5-2.

The other run scored on Marco Scutaro’s sacrifice fly.

 


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