BOSTON — The Tampa Bay Rays finally solved Clay Buchholz.
Ben Zobrist’s two-run double triggered a five-run eighth inning, Alex Cobb pitched seven strong innings, and the Rays beat the Boston Red Sox 6-2 Tuesday night.
Buchholz, the Boston right-hander, took a shutout into the eighth.
“Typically we have no chance against him, and then all of a sudden, things break lose,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “Great at-bat by (Zobrist). Zo had had no luck against him, 4-for-38 with one extra-base hit coming into tonight’s game, and he gets three. Go figure.”
Zobrist added a pair of singles to his huge hit, helping the Rays do something they hadn’t done all season against Buchholz all season — score.
And the veteran utility man wasn’t even supposed to be in the lineup.
“I was going to give him the day (off) based on what I just said, but (outfielder Kevin) Kiermaier had the vision to be ill, and that put Zo back in the lineup,” Maddon said. “Better manager than me.”
Designated hitter David DeJesus had two singles and drove in a run, first baseman James Loney added a two-run single, and left fielder Matt Joyce hit a solo homer for the Rays, who opened a season-ending, six-game road trip with their fifth win in eight games.
Left fielder Daniel Nava had an RBI double and shortstop Jemile Weeks hit a sacrifice fly for Boston.
Cobb (10-8) held the American League’s lowest scoring team to one run on five hits, striking out three and walking two to snap a five-start winless stretch.
“Tonight, I knew early on it was going to be one of those nights where I didn’t have my best stuff,” he said. “The one thing I’ve started to learn as I’ve gotten more experience is I can go out and battle when I don’t have my best stuff.”
Cobb lowered his ERA to 1.49 in 13 starts since the All-Star break.
“Any time that they roll Cobb out there, you know it’s going to be a low-scoring affair,” Buchholz said.
Buchholz (8-10) held the Rays scoreless until Zobrist doubled over the head of left fielder Yoenis Cespedes, who mistimed his jump as the ball sailed over his head while he was at the front half of the warning track with two outs in the eighth.
“That wall is sort of intimidating,” Boston manager John Farrell said. “Just standing out there during (batting practice), it’s tough to make yourself go all the way back to it. Tough play.”
Buchholz shut out the Rays at Tropicana Field on Aug. 31 and entered the night 3-0 without allowing a run against them in 22 innings this year.
“Clay was in complete command of that game tonight,” Farrell said. “Very efficient.”
After the Rays jumped ahead 2-1 on Zobrist’s double, DeJesus hit an RBI single and Loney added a run-scoring single off reliever Tommy Layne.
Boston has two more games against the Rays before the New York Yankees come to town for what likely will be the final three games of shortstop Derek Jeter’s career.
Cespedes was ejected by plate umpire Jeff Nelson for arguing a called third strike in the eighth.
The Rays close their season with three games in Cleveland against the Indians.
The Red Sox broke ahead 1-0 in the fourth when Cespedes reached on an infield hit with two outs for Boston’s first hit of the game. Nava followed with an RBI double off the left field wall.
The Rays had a good scoring chance in the third, but Cespedes nailed shortstop Yunel Escobar at the plate with a throw on Zobrist’s single. Escobar was injured on the play, appearing to catch his left cleat and injuring his left knee just before he stumbled to the ground.
After being down for a bit and having his knee looked at by the team trainer, he limped off the field with what the club called a sprained knee. Escobar was replaced at short in the bottom of the inning by Zobrist, who moved in from center field. Brandon Guyer came into the game to play center.
NOTES: The Red Sox shuffled their lineup before the game when 3B Will Middlebrooks (sprained right hand) and SS Xander Bogaerts (stiff neck) were scratched after batting practice. Jemile Weeks took Bogaerts’ spot, and rookie Garin Cecchini filled in for Middlebrooks. … The Rays opened a season-ending, six-game road trip after finishing 36-45 at home. … Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said the visit to Fenway Park had a lot different feeling with the clubs in the bottom of the AL East. “The coolness in the air and the smell in the hotel, everything indicates that we are supposed to be here for the playoffs, and we’re not,” he said. “Really annoying.” … Tampa Bay is on a pace for its fewest runs scored since its inaugural season in 1998. … Boston CF Rusney Castillo made his Fenway Park debut and went 0-for-4. The Cuban refugee was signed Aug. 23 and made his big league debut Sept. 16.