Jon Lester pitched seven strong innings and Victor Martinez homered twice off All-Star David Price, helping the Boston Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 Friday night to tighten the AL wild-card race.
John Lackey came within four outs of a no-hitter, only to watch his Boston Red Sox blow a comfortable lead and cost him a win before beating the Seattle Mariners 8-6 in 13 innings Thursday night.
Kevin Youkilis scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball after his third extra-base hit and the Boston Red Sox rallied to beat the New York Yankees 9-7 in the major league opener Sunday night.
Jon Lester was knocked out by a line drive near his right knee Friday night, when Joba Chamberlain led New York over Boston 9-5 for his first win in 1½ months.
Daisuke Matsuzaka returned from a three-month stint on the disabled list and pitched six shutout innings on Tuesday night to lead the Boston Red Sox to a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels, their likely first-round playoff opponent.
