By Sean McAdam
CSNNE.com Red Sox InsiderFollow @sean_mcadam
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Red Sox survived a rocky first inning from John Lackey and their defense and outscored the Tampa Bay Rays 7-1 over the final eight innings to take a 9-5 win at Tropicana Field.
The Sox got homers from Josh Reddick, Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia, giving them seven homers in the first two games since the All-Star break. Those seven homers have accounted for nine of the 15 runs they've scored in those two games.
Lackey overcame a throwing error and two other misplays by Marco Scutaro in the first as the Rays took a 3-0 lead. He allowed only one more run over his final 4 23 innings to capture his second win in a row. The last time Lackey won back-to-back starts was June 5-June 17 when he won three straight.
James Shields, who shut down the Red Sox with a complete game shutout the last time the teams met here, was pounded for six runs in six innings.
Randy Williams, who was called up Saturday to take Bobby Jenks' spot on the roster, bailed Lackey out of a two-on, two-out jam in the sixth when he got lefty Casey Kotchman on an inning-ending groundout.
Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon combined for the final seven outs.
Sean McAdam can be reached at smcadam@comcastsportsnet.com. Follow Sean on Twitter at http:twitter.comsean_mcadam