Boston Red Sox defeat Tampa Bay Rays, 11-3

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- On a day when payback and brushbacks and two bench-clearing events were the show at Tropicana Field, the Red Sox, losers of two straight one-run games and the target of errant and/or purpose pitches, decided they had endured enough from the young, small-market Devil Rays.

The Sox fought their way to an 11-3 win to claim one game of the three-game series, but, more important, they salvaged their pride before their return to Boston last night.

I...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Red Sox outfielder Trot Nixon wasn't one of the seven batters hit by pitches here this weekend, while Devil Rays pitcher Dewon Brazelton had the weekend off, having started for the Devil Rays Thursday.

But they were among the six people in uniform ejected in the aftermath of yesterday's bench-clearing affair between the Sox and Devil Rays, who emptied the dugouts twice in the course of the afternoon (and haven't we heard that one before when thes...