Longoria's grand slam powers Rays past Red Sox

[May 02, 2009]  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- Evan Longoria extended his torrid hitting against Boston pitching with a grand slam and Carlos Pena also homered Friday night, helping the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Red Sox 6-2.

Andy Sonnanstine (1-3) allowed two runs and eight hits in 5 2-3 innings to get his first regular-season victory since Aug. 18 for the defending AL champions, who improved to 4-1 against Boston.

Longoria homered and drove in four runs for the second straight night, connecting off Justin Masterson (2-1) during Tampa Bay's six-run fifth inning. The reigning AL Rookie of the Year had a three-run double and solo home run Thursday and is 10-for-22 with four homers and 13 RBIs against the Red Sox this year.

Pena also homered in the fifth off Masterson, who made his third start for Boston in place of injured Daisuke Matsuzaka. The right-hander allowed six runs on six hits, walked three and struck out six in six innings.

A night after being held to one hit in a 13-0 loss, the Red Sox wasted a couple early opportunities to put Sonnanstine in a deep hole. They stranded six runners in the first three innings (10 overall) and only scored once after getting a single, double and walk to load the bases in the third.

Sonnanstine, who had gone 11 regular-season starts without winning, walked Jason Bay to force in Boston's first run. He gave up a two-out double to Kevin Youkilis and J.D. Drew's RBI single to fall behind 2-0 in the fifth.

Masterson, who won his other two starts in place of Matsuzaka, allowed one hit through four innings. Gabe Gross singled to open the Tampa Bay fifth, and after Akinori Iwamura walked, things went downhill in a hurry.

B.J. Upton's bases-loaded sacrifice fly trimmed the Rays' deficit to 2-1 before Masterson walked Crawford to again fill the bases for Longoria, who fell behind 0-2 before working the count to 2-2 and hitting the second grand slam of his career.Pena

 followed with his 10th homer to make it 6-2.

J.P. Howell replaced Sonnanstine with two outs in the sixth. He, Dan Wheeler and Joe Nelson held the Red Sox to one hit - Dustin Pedroia's third single of the night - and two walks the rest of the way.

Notes:@ The Rays, who have lost six consecutive series since winning two of three games from Boston the first week of the season, are guaranteed at least a split of the four-game series. ... Matsuzaka, on the disabled list since April 15 with a mild right shoulder strain, is scheduled to make his first minor league rehab start Tuesday, likely with Triple-A Pawtucket. ... Rays RHP Jason Isringhausen, who's with Triple-A Durham on rehab assignment, was scratched Thursday night from a scheduled appearance because of a mild abdominal strain that manager Joe Maddon said is not serious. ... When Boston OF Jonathan Van Every switched positions with LHP Javier Lopez during the eighth inning Thursday night, he became the first Red Sox position player to pitch in a game since David McCarty against Baltimore on Oct. 3, 2004.

[Associated Press; By FRED GOODALL]

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