Devil Rays use nine-run seventh to blast Red Sox

BOSTON -- Tim Corcoran avoided the worst post All-Star record in 50 years with his best outing of the season.

Call it Pesky's Pole
The Boston Red Sox renamed the right-field foul pole at Fenway Park in honor of former player and coach Johnny Pesky before Wednesday's game against the Devil Rays. Pesky, a 56-year member of the organization, was honored on his 87th birthday with an on-field ceremony. He threw out the ceremonial first pitch to pitcher Tim Wakefield. For more, click here.

Corcoran allowed four hits over 6 2/3 innings and Rocco Baldelli hit a three-run homer during a nine-run seventh to lead the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to an 11-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night.

The 27-year-old rookie had been 0-9 since the midseason break. According to Stats, Inc., Jay Tibbs owns the worst post All-Star mark in the past 50 years, going 0-10 with Baltimore in 1988.

"I said I don't want to go down in the books with that record," Corcoran (5-9) said with a smile. "It'll make deer season a little better."

Greg Norton had a two-run homer and drove in three runs for the Devil Rays, who got their 20th road victory this season, and first since Aug. 30. They had lost their last seven on the road and 20 of 21.

Tampa Bay (61-97) needs to win three of its remaining four games in Cleveland to avoid becoming the first team in major league history to lose 99 games while posting a winning home record. The Devil Rays were 41-40 at Tropicana Field this season.

"Even though our record is terrible on the road, it is terrible, but we've done a lot of good things," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. "We just haven't been able to put it together. Tonight we did."

Boston's David Ortiz, who had homered in his last three home games and four of seven overall to establish a club record with 54, walked his first three times up and flied out in the eighth.

Corcoran, who was making his 13th start since the All-Star break, walked five and struck out seven. He was booed each time he walked Ortiz.

"You can say we won on the road because it's the end of the season and guys aren't playing hard, but a win is a win and we'll take it," Tampa Bay's Carl Crawford said.

It was the eighth time the Red Sox were shut out this season.

"It was his day," said Boston's Wily Mo Pena, who went 0-3 with two strikeouts against Corcoran. "He got me twice."

The Red Sox had their 105th errorless game this season, setting a major league record. The 1999 New York Mets and 1998 Baltimore Orioles held the previous mark with 104.

Elias Says

Beckett Josh Beckett was the losing pitcher in what was likely his last appearance of the season. Beckett (16-11, 5.01) and Randy Johnson (17-11, 5.00) both won at least 16 games with an ERA at or above 5.00. This will be only the third season since 1912 -- when ERA became an official statistic -- with more than one such pitcher. It also happened in 1996 (Kevin Ritz and Bobby Witt) and 1999 (Kevin Appier and Pedro Astacio). • For more Elias Says, click here

Josh Beckett (16-11) gave up eight runs and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings with eight strikeouts and one walk.

"It was just a (horrible) performance," Beckett said. "It was just pitch execution. I let some things get to me. They put the good part of the bat on the ball. They were hitting balls at guys early in the game, and they stopped hitting them at guys."

Baldelli's three-run homer, his 15th, chased Beckett and keyed the nine-run seventh. Ty Wigginton had a two-run double and RBI-double in the inning, while Crawford added an RBI-triple, Norton a run-scoring double and Shawn Riggans drove in a run with a groundout.

"We were down two and the way Corcoran was throwing we needed to keep it at two," Boston manager Terry Francona said. "It ended up blowing up in our face."

Beckett gave up two homers and has allowed a team-leading 36 this season.

Game notes
Wigginton had two doubles in the seventh, tying a major league record set several times. ... The Red Sox officially renamed the right-field foul pole "Pesky's Pole" in honor of longtime organization member Johnny Pesky in an on-field ceremony before the game. ... Thirty-one Congressional Medal of Honor Winners from World War II and the Korean War were honored on the field before the game. ... Red Sox 3B Mike Lowell was given the night off. ... Francona announced that RHP Devern Hansack will start the season finale Sunday.