Tampa Bay lefty Scott Kazmir handcuffs Boston for 5 2/3 innings in the finale of the homestand.

01:00 AM EDT on Friday, April 21, 2006

BY CAROLYN THORNTON
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON -- Scott Kazmir may have lasted only 5 2/3 innings before having to leave the game when his hand cramped up. But the Tampa Bay fireballer still kept Boston's bats quiet long enough last night to help the Devil Rays avoid being swept in this three-game series as the Red Sox concluded their 10-game opening homestand at Fenway Park with a 5-1 loss.

"He's got an explosive fastball and a hard breaking ball, and we haven't figured him out very well yet," Boston manager Terry Francona said of the 22-year-old lefty, who limited the Sox to four hits before exiting with muscle cramps in his left thumb and wrist. "I don't know that he always locates where he wants to, but he has so much on the ball that he can get his fastball by us. He stopped the middle of our order pretty effectively."

Dustan Mohr generated the only excitement at the plate against Kazmir. Faced with two outs and a 3-and-2 count in the second inning, he hit his second home run as a member of the Red Sox, belting the next pitch over the Green Monster.

But Tampa Bay took a 2-1 lead two innings later.

After walking Jorge Cantu, Boston starter Tim Wakefield gave up an RBI double to Travis Lee that nearly eluded right fielder Wily Mo Pena as it caromed off the side wall.

Lee stole third while catcher Josh Bard was throwing out Jonny Gomes at first on a dropped third strike.

The speedy Devil Ray then scored when Bard let one of Wakefield's knuckleballs get away from him.

It marked the second time on this homestand that a runner has scored from third on a passed ball -- the first occurring last Saturday against Seattle, a 3-0 loss.

Bard already has mishandled six pitches in Wakefield's four starts. Doug Mirabelli -- Wakefield's previous personal catcher -- had six passed balls all of last season.

"Obviously, I'm very frustrated, very

disappointed," Bard said. "I dropped the ball. I felt like I stuck with my fundamentals. I'm disappointed about it."

Jonny Gomes cushioned Tampa Bay's lead by recording his second career multi-home run game.

Leading off the seventh, he sent a blast well over the Sports Authority sign in left -- the sixth home run of his career that he has hit on the first pitch.

Two innings later, Gomes notched his seventh, parking reliever Julian Tavarez's first pitch onto Ted Williams Way (formerly Lansdowne Street) to put Tampa Bay up, 4-1. Sox reliever Julian Tavarez gave up an RBI double to Ty Wigginton for Tampa Bay's final run.

The Sox' bats finally stirred in the bottom of the ninth.

With one out, Manny Ramirez beat out an infield hit to third, his first hit of the night.

Devil Rays third baseman Ty Wigginton then misplayed a Mike Lowell grounder. Willie Harris, who arrived in Boston yesterday after being called up from Pawtucket, singled up the middle to load the bases.

But Dan Miceli replaced Travis Harper on the mound and wasted no time securing his fourth save as Trot Nixon struck out swinging and Jason Varitek, who was pinch-hitting for Bard, flied out to left.

"I feel bad for Wake," said Lowell. "He's thrown a couple of great starts and we haven't gotten him any runs."

"The thing people don't know about Wake is that he was not feeling very good today," added Bard of Wakefield, who suffered his third loss despite giving up only three runs on four hits in eight innings. "His bullpen session was not very good, but he showed me a lot going out there without his best stuff. He threw the ball great. I can't say enough about his professionalism. I just feel badly that I haven't been giving him any run support."

Asked whether he would start becoming concerned if Ramirez -- who went 1-for-3 with a walk -- doesn't regain his consistency at the plate, Francona said: "I bet you a dollar he does . . . I might even make it two bucks.

"We'd love to score 10 runs a night. It doesn't happen in April. I like the way we catch the ball. I like the way we are playing, and I believe in our offense. Sometimes you have to be patient, because if you bail on the patience and go in a different direction, you lose the good things that are about to happen. I love the style of baseball we are playing. We always have a chance. Even tonight, when we got handcuffed offensively, we got the tying run to the plate."

Despite the loss, Boston is off to its best start since 2002, and begins a nine-game road trip today in Toronto with an 11-5 record.