BOSTON (AP) - Jarrod Saltalamacchia had a pinch-hit, two-run homer off Fernando Rodney with one out in the ninth inning to lift the Boston Red Sox to a 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday night.
Daniel Nava walked to open the ninth and Nick Punto sacrificed before Saltalamacchia lofted a high drive to right-center for Boston's 11th win in 15 games.
Rodney (2-1) had converted his first 15 save chances.
Rich Hill (1-0) worked one inning for the win.
A night after the teams had a testy benches-clearing scrum in the ninth inning that turned into an exchange of words between the managers that lingered into Saturday, the teams played a taught game highlighted by the pitching of aces Josh Beckett and David Price - and a throw by B.J. Upton.
