Damon helps Rays blow out Red Sox, 16-5

Sam Fuld went 4-for-6 with a two-run homer, three RBIs and fell a single shy of the cycle to help the Tampa Bay Rays bust out of an early-season slump with a 16-5 win over the Boston Red Sox Monday night at Fenway Park.

Johnny Damon had three hits, including a solo homer, and three RBIs, and John Jaso and Reid Brignac also drove in three runs apiece for the Rays.

Tampa Bay, which totaled 20 hits, came in hitting a major-league worst .163 and had scored only 20 total runs, the fewest after nine games since the 2003 Detroit Tigers -- a team that finished 43-119.

Red Sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka (0-2) allowed seven runs in two-plus innings.

Fuld doubled into the left-field corner in his last at-bat in the ninth. Rays manager Joe Maddon said many players in the dugout teased him that they would have settled for a single and the cycle.

"It shows his integrity there at the end of the game," Maddon said. "He could have stopped at first base easily. Some guys in the dugout said they would have slid into first base."

Said Damon, "At this stage of my career, if that happened, I'm stopping."

Rangers 2, Tigers 0: Alexi Ogando (2-0) outpitched Justin Verlander before leaving after seven innings because of fluid under a callus on his right index finger. The visiting Rangers (9-1) have the majors' top record and matched the best 10-game start in team history.

Athletics 2, White Sox 1: Kurt Suzuki hit a go-ahead home run in the 10th for visiting Oakland, which capitalized on Juan Pierre's dropped fly ball in the ninth.

Cubs 5, Astros 4: Starlin Castro had three hits and scored three runs, Marlon Byrd drove in two runs and Darwin Barney hit an RBI triple for the visiting Cubs, who built a 5-0 lead by the fourth inning.-- AP