Jon Lester and Red Sox bullpen combine on 1-hitter to beat Rays 2-0

Lester, Red Sox shut down Rays 2-0

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — David Ortiz had a two-run double and Jon Lester allowed one hit in six innings Tuesday night, leading the Boston Red Sox to a 2-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Lester (5-2) remained unbeaten in his last seven starts, striking out nine and only allowing one baserunner past second before turning the game over to the bullpen. Manny Delcarmen, Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon finished the combined one-hitter with three scoreless innings.

The victory was the seventh in eight games for the Red Sox, who’ve rebounded from a poor April to climb a season-best five games over .500 (26-21). Papelbon allowed a one-out walk in the ninth, but retired Carlos Pena and B.J. Upton to earn his 11th save in 12 opportunities.

The Rays, who have baseball’s best record at 32-14, lost a series at home for the first time since dropping two of three to the New York Yankees the opening week of the season. Willy Aybar had their lone hit, a fourth-inning single.

Ortiz, who homered during Monday night’s 6-1 win over Tampa Bay, gave Lester all the support he needed with his third-inning double off James Shields (5-2), who limited the Red Sox to four hits over eight innings — none after the third.

The Tampa Bay starter walked two and struck out five.

Lester improved to 3-0 in five career starts at Tropicana Field. He’s 5-0 over his last seven starts this season and has not lost since the Rays beat him 7-1 during their four-game sweep of the Red Sox in Boston last month.

Shields worked out of a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the first inning, then kept Tampa Bay in the game after falling behind 2-0 on Ortiz’s double into the gap in left-center field by retiring the last 16 batters he faced.

Despite managing just one hit off Lester, the Rays had plenty opportunities against the left-hander, who walked five, including Jason Bartlett three times. They stranded runners in five of the first six innings, going 0-for-4 with men in scoring position.

Tampa Bay’s Carl Crawford and Joe Maddon were ejected during the fifth inning for arguing about a pitch that plate umpire Bob Davidson called a strike.

Crawford objected to the call, stepping out of the batter’s box to exchange words with Davidson after Lester’s first-pitch curve broke across the plate and appeared to wind up out of the strike zone.

Maddon bolted out of the dugout when the argument intensified, and Crawford was ejected as the manager stepped between the player and umpire.

Maddon continued the argument and was tossed, too.

Notes: The ejections were the first of the season for Crawford and Maddon. … The Red Sox activated OF Mike Cameron (lower abdominal strain) from the 15-day disabled list. OF Jacoby Ellsbury, who last weekend ended a stay on the DL for a rib injury, sat out after experiencing soreness in his left side. … Tampa Bay has stolen 43 bases in its last 25 games against Boston, but has not attempted a steal in the first two games of this series. Crawford has a streak of 31 straight successful steals against the Red Sox, who have not caught him since Sept. 21, 2005.