Alex Cobb pitched seven strong innings and Matt Joyce added a solo homer in the ninth for the Rays in the series opener between the bottom two teams in the AL East. Buchholz (8-10) had a shutout going through seven, but a leadoff walk and hit batter cost him in the eighth when the Rays rallied for five runs with two outs. Red Sox: 3B Will Middlebrooks (sprained right hand) and SS Xander Bogaerts (stiff neck) were both in the original starting lineup but were late scratches after batting practice.