The Tampa Bay Rays were one opponent. The cold, raw weather was another.
Eventually, the Red Sox managed to overcome both Tuesday night in the first game of an eight-game homestand, blasting the Rays 7-4 in the first meeting of the season between the two clubs who met in the American League Division Series last October.
The teams traded sacrifice flies - and little else - through the first 5 1/2 innings, with hitting conditions far from favorable.
But in the bottom of the sixth, the Red Sox erupted for five runs, with most of the damage coming from the bottom third of the order.
Brandon Gomes issued two walks and the Sox made the next Rays reliever, Juan Carlos Oviedo, pay with a run-scoring single from A.J. Pierzynski, an RBI double from Will Middlebrooks and a two-run double from Jackie Bradley Jr.
Shane Victorino, who had delivered the first run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly, then sliced an opposite-field double to right, giving him his first two RBI of the season. Victorino finished the night with four hits plus the sacrifice fly.
Together, the bottom third of the order combined to contribute five hits, a walk, four RBI and four runs scored for the night.
David Ortiz delivered the final run in the eighth with a single to center, scoring Dustin Pedroia.
John Lackey went eight innings to improve to 4-2, allowing just two runs on six hits. For the second straight start, he didn't allow a single walk after having issued four walks two starts ago. - See more at: http://www.fancyjersey.com
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