BOSTON - The Red Sox had enough of allowing opponents runs in the first inning, and after five straight games, decided to get in on the action themselves.
Though they scored just one in the first, they added five more over the next two to take a 6-0 lead.
The Rays would climb back into it, but the Red Sox never gave up their lead and held on to win, 11-7.
They'll go for the sweep Sunday afternoon.
The Sox got to Rays starter Matt Moore early and often in this one, tagging the lefty for six runs in just three innings.
The second inning is when most of the damage against Moore was done, as the Sox plated four. Rusney Castillo doubled in Travis Shaw to make it 2-0 before the Sox loaded the bases. Brock Holt drove in Castillo on a sacrifice fly and Xander Bogaerts made it 5-0 with a double that scored emptied the bases.
Travis Shaw hit one of his two home runs on the day in the third inning, a solo shot to make it 6-0.
Boston Red Sox
But Joe Kelly couldn't take advantage of the big lead. He loaded the bases to begin the fourth inning and then allowed a two-run single to Logan Forsythe.
In the fifth, Kelly put two men on before allowing two RBI singles.
The Sox added a much-needed insurance run in the fifth off reliever Alex Colome, because in the sixth inning the Sox went back to Kelly, who allowed a leadoff double and then an RBI single to make it 7-5 Sox.
With Justin Masterson coming on in relief, the Rays were caught stealing third base, and then scored a run on a double by Brandon Guyer. But Masterson got Evan Longoria swinging to end the sixth, and that's as close as the Rays would get.
Castillo came up with a big single in the sixth that scored two runs and padded the Sox lead to 9-6.
With the score still the same in the eighth inning, Shaw came up to bat against Steven Geltz with Hanley Ramirez on and crushed another home run to center field.
The second home run gave Shaw (4-for-4) three RBI on the day and a whopping five runs scored, the most by a Red Sox player since Dustin Pedroia scored five runs on Aug. 12, 2008.
Craig Breslow pitched 1.2 innings of scoreless relief and Sox newcomer Jean Machi came on for one out in the nith inning and stayed in for the ninth, winding up with a save.
He allowed a solo home run to Forsythe in the ninth.
Bogaerts finished the day 4-for-5 with three RBI while Castillo went 3-for-4 with three RBI and a run.