Aviles HR, pitching help Sox edge Rays

BOSTON -- Trade-deadline pickup Mike Aviles broke a fourth-inning tie with his first homer since joining the Red Sox and Boston beat Tampa Bay, 4-3, Friday night to hold off the charging Rays and extend its lead in the AL wild-card race to four games.

Josh Beckett (13-5) returned from a skipped start to give up three runs and seven hits in six innings. He struck out seven.

It was Boston's second win in nine games and its first in seven tries against the Rays.

Jonathan Papelbon pitched the ninth for his 30th save -- his first since Aug. 18 -- striking out Evan Longoria with a runner on second to end the game. Longoria knocked in all three Rays runs, with a two-run homer in the first inning and an RBI single in the third.

David Ortiz had an RBI single in the first inning and an RBI double in the third.

James Shields (15-11) lost for just the second time since July. He allowed four runs, seven hits and three walks, striking out four in seven innings.

Desmond Jennings had three hits for the Rays.

Boston ace Jon Lester faces Jeff Niemann on Saturday.

Beckett, who left his previous start with a sprained ankle and skipped his next turn in the rotation, fanned John Jaso with a runner on third to end the sixth -- a called strike that got Rays manager Joe Maddon ejected.

Reliever Alfredo Aceves struck out Casey Kotchman with runners on second and third to end the seventh and Daniel Bard, who blew an eighth-inning lead Wednesday, struck out three batters in the eighth to protect the lead for Papelbon. One of Bard's strikeouts was initially ruled a hit batsman on Johnny Damon, but third-base umpire Bob Davidson ruled it strike three on appeal.

Longoria also saved a run in the field when he dove to his right to snare Pedroia's liner and essentially landed on third base, doubling off Aviles to end the seventh.

The Rays fanned 15 times and went 2 for 13 with runners in scoring position.

-- AP