Boston, MA (SportsNetwork.com) - Jon Lester struck out 12 over seven strong innings, while Brock Holt stroked four doubles and drove in two runs, as the Boston Red Sox completed a three-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays with a 4-0 victory Sunday at Fenway Park.
Lester (6-6) yielded just four hits and a walk over his solid outing, with Edward Mujica and Koji Uehara each spinning a scoreless frame in relief to complete the five-hit shutout.
Jonathan Herrera added a sacrifice fly, while Garin Cecchini clubbed an RBI double in his major league debut for the Red Sox, who have won seven straight games on the heels of a 10-game slide that culminated in an 8-5 loss to the Rays on May 25.
Tampa Bay, meanwhile, hasn't tasted victory since that win, dropping each of its last six games.
Erik Bedard (2-4) allowed three runs on five hits and four walks over 4 2/3 frames to absorb the loss, while Evan Longoria collected two of Tampa Bay's five hits in the setback.
"We haven't made good, hard contact on a consistent basis," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "It's a confidence issue more than anything."
Boston nearly broke through against Bedard in the first after loading the bases with two outs. However, Alex Hassan, making his big league debut, stared at three straight strikes to keep the game scoreless.
Hassan redeemed himself in the fourth when he followed Jonny Gomes' leadoff single with a base hit to center for his first major league hit.
Both runners moved up a base on a David Ross flyout before Jackie Bradley, Jr. worked a walk to load the bases for Herrera, who lifted a sac fly to left to plate Gomes for a 1-0 lead.
Holt then clubbed his third double of the day into the left-field corner, scoring Hassan and Bradley for a 3-0 advantage.
"I was able to barrel some balls up and hit some balls hard," Holt said.
Lester, meanwhile, struck out the side in the fourth and fifth innings before capping his outing with two more punchouts in the seventh.
The Red Sox added an insurance run in the home half when Holt worked a leadoff walk, stole second and scored on Cecchini's first big league hit, a double off the Green monster in left.
Game Notes
Boston second baseman Dustin Pedroia was ejected by home plate umpire D.J. Reyburn following the third inning. Cecchini, who was recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket prior to the game, took over at third, while Herrera moved to second to replace Pedroia ... Boston's seventh straight win tied the major league record for consecutive wins directly after a double-digit losing streak. The 1989 Detroit Tigers and 1942 Pittsburgh Pirates also accomplished the feat ... The Rays have lost eight straight road games while being outscored 48-18 ... Tampa Bay went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base ... Cecchini and Hassan became the first pair of Red Sox to make their big league debuts and get a hit on the same day since Steve Dillard and Andy Merchant did it on Sept. 28, 1975.
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