Joyce homers to help Rays beat Red Sox, Lester 8-3

[June 12, 2013]  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- Matt Joyce hit one of three homers off Jon Lester to help the Tampa Bay Rays beat the AL East-leading Boston Red Sox 8-3 on Tuesday night.

Joyce, one day after being hit by a pitch that sparked a bench-clearing scrum, put the Rays up 7-3 on a two-run shot in the fifth that ended Lester's night.

Desmond Jennings homered twice, while Evan Longoria also went deep for the Rays. Roberto Hernandez (4-6) allowed three runs and seven hits over seven-plus innings.

Lester (6-3) had his winless streak reach five starts, including three losses, since beating the Rays on May 15. The left-hander gave up seven runs, eight hits and seven walks in 4 2-3 innings.

The teams were coming off a testy 14-inning game Monday night won by the Red Sox 10-8 that took 5 hours, 24 minutes. An on-field scrum took place in the sixth after Boston's John Lackey hit Joyce in the center of the back with a pitch.

Lackey insisted he meant no harm, though the Rays hardly were convinced of that as Joyce and Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon both said it was intentional.

Hernandez hit Dustin Pedroia, who was leading off the eighth Tuesday, with a pitch that got away from the right-hander. Pedroia immediately ran to first base and nothing else ensued.

The Rays grabbed a 4-3 lead during the third on run-scoring singles by Ryan Roberts and Jose Molina. Longoria made it 5-3 on a solo shot in the fourth.

Tampa Bay took a 2-1 advantage on Jennings' solo homer in the second. He also had a solo drive off Jose De La Torre in the fifth for his third career multihomer game.

Mike Napoli had a two-run single in the third that put Boston ahead 3-2.

After Pedroia gave the Red Sox a 1-0 lead in the first with a sacrifice fly, Tampa Bay got the run back in the bottom half when James Loney walked with bases loaded on the fourth free pass of the inning issued by Lester.

Boston's Jose Iglesias extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a single in the third. Pedroia had his 14-game hitting streak end.

NOTES: Joyce is 4 for 8 with two homers against Lester. ... The Rays have hit four or more homers in consecutive games for the first time in team history. ... Boston RHP Clay Buchholz (neck stiffness) will have his next start on Friday pushed back at least two days. ... Tampa Bay LHP David Price (strained left triceps) will throw in a simulated game Thursday. ... Maddon said RHP Kyle Farnsworth, who left Monday's game with right elbow soreness, felt pretty good Tuesday. The reliever played catch before the game.

[Associated Press; By MARK DIDTLER]

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