ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein has undoubtedly been working the phone lines with Major League Baseball’s trade deadline quickly approaching.

There had been speculation that he wanted to shore up Boston’s bullpen, but with the resurgence of reliever Manny Delcarmen since mid-June, that thought was probably placed on the back burner.

That is until yesterday, when the game got out of control in a hurry for the Red Sox as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays snapped an eight-game losing skid with a 5-2 victory in the finale of a three-game series at Tropicana Field.

Boston starter Daisuke Matsuzaka was solid, but for the second consecutive game the bullpen faltered as Delcarmen surrendered three runs on three hits, including back-to-back home runs in the seventh inning.

On Saturday, Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon inherited a two-run lead in the ninth but surrendered a two-run homer for only his second blown save of the season. Fortunately for Boston, six runs in the 12th inning provided a 12-6 win.

With Tampa ahead by a run in the seventh yesterday and Matsuzaka tiring, Red Sox manager Terry Francona went to the hard-throwing Delcarmen so the game wouldn’t get out of control.

“That’s why we went to Manny, so it wouldn’t,” said Francona. “He threw two fastballs right in the middle of the plate. Daisuke was so good. It didn’t work out very well.”

Delcarmen, who entered the game with a 1.47 ERA in 16 games since his recall from Pawtucket on June 17, surrendered back-to-back mammoth home runs. The Rays’ B.J. Upton smoked a three-run shot and Carlos Pena followed with a solo blast.

Delcarmen said he was trying to get ahead in the count early and tried to throw down and away to Upton, but the pitch came back in across the plate and Upton deposited it into the left-field seats. On the 1-0 offering to Pena, Delcarmen wanted the pitch in on Pena’s hands but left it over the middle of the plate.

“If I could take them back, I would,” Delcarmen said. “It just shows that when you make a mistake they are going to hit it up here. I got frustrated because we scored two the next inning, and if you take away (my) runs, then we’re up by one. I wanted to go back out there.”

Both starting pitchers wowed the 34,813 in attendance with their artistry through the first six innings. Tampa manager Joe Maddon gave Scott Kazmir the hook after the lefty worked six scoreless and allowed six hits with eight strikeouts.

Francona decided to stay with Matsuzaka into the seventh, and that’s when things imploded for Boston.

Matsuzaka surrendered a solo home run to the Rays’ Dioner Navarro with one out, followed by a Josh Wilson single. That ended Dice-K’s day.

“With both teams at zero runs at that point, that was a situation I wanted to avoid and I’m disappointed,” said Matsuzaka of the home run.

Delcarmen was pounded and Tampa had a 5-0 lead.

The Red Sox received a little spark from Manny Ramirez and Kevin Youkilis, who provided back-to-back solo shots in the top of the eighth inning.

In the end, coupled with the bullpen woes, it was four runners stranded in scoring position that hurt Boston’s chances yesterday.

“When our lineup is unable to produce runs, I feel like it’s my job to hold (the opposition) to zero runs,” said Matsuzaka. “In that sense, I’m very disappointed today.”

Still, the Sox head home having gone 5-2 on the road trip. Boston will have an off-day today before beginning a three-game series with the Baltimore Orioles tomorrow night at Fenway Park. By then, the Red Sox could have a new arm in the bullpen.

jmcdonal@projo.com