BOSTON _ Of all the decisions that Rays manager Kevin Cash made Tuesday, running through six relievers in a game that lasted nearly four hours, the one that stood out the most came in the fifth inning, when with a one-run lead he surprisingly lifted veteran starter Charlie Morton with two outs, one on and only 85 pitches thrown.
That meant he had to turn to that beleaguered bullpen of his even earlier than usual. And, well _ who knew? _ Adam Kolarek came in and immediately made the move look horribly bad, allowing a homer on his first pitch to lefty Andrew Benintendi that pushed the Sox from behind to ahead.
Cash was sure to have his reasons, which are certainly subject to debate. And Morton's stellar performance this season, taking the mound with a 12-3 mark and AL best 2.60 ERA, plus his experience and stature in the game, might count for something too.
But by the end of the night, the Rays made it seem like old news.
They came right back to take the lead, held off several Red Sox challenges with relievers Colin Poche and Emilio Pagan getting huge outs, and scored a hard-earned and impressive win, beating the Red Sox, 6-5.
The win improved the Rays to 61-48 and moved them back into a tie with Oakland, which was playing later, for the second AL wild-card spot, with the Indians hold the top one.
Of more immediate concern, it created some separation with the Red Sox, who dropped to 59-49 and 1 { games behind the Rays.
The game, played on a sweltering night, was fittingly tight, given that the rivals of some degree are now, and perhaps for months will be, battling for position in the AL wild card race.
"They're all important right now," Cash said before the game. "I know it gets magnified because we're so close in the standings. But every series we play from this point are going to be magnified just because we've got some work to do to get where we want to.
"And this (Red Sox) team is feeling the same way. So obviously, this park, this team, all those things considered, they're big series."
Adding to the urgency of the showdown with the season series tied 6-6, the teams don't meet again until the end of the season, a Sept. 20-22 series at the Trop.
After the Sox took the lead on Benintendi's homer, the Rays took it right back.
Travis d'Arnaud, who earlier hit a Monster-topping homer, drew a two-out walk in the sixth. Austin Meadows singled. And then Avisail Garcia, who also homered earlier, hit an arching shot off the leftfield wall for a two-run double.
The bullpen was a big part of the story line.
Another move that didn't work out put the Sox in position to rally in the seventh. Diego Castillo, who remains consistently inconsistent, allowed two of the first four Red Sox to reach. Cash went then to lefty Poche, who has been giving up homers at a high rate and bad times, to face Benintendi.
Poche, who throws almost exclusively fastballs, had a surprise of his own. With a 1-1 count, he froze Benintendi with an 84.5 mph curveball, then got him swinging at a fastball for strike three.
The Sox threatened again in the eighth as Cash used three relievers. Chaz Roe gave up a leadoff double and got an out. Oliver Drake gave up a walk to his first batter then got a line out. Pagan got a ground ball that newcomer Eric Sogard couldn't make the play on to load the bases. But then Pagan came through and got Devers to line out. Pagan then worked the ninth.
The Sox took the early lead with two runs in a messy first against Morton, who allowed a leadoff walk and then with two outs a single, a walk to load the bases and a two-run single to Mitch Moreland.
It was 3-1 Boston when the Rays rallied against ex-mate David Price and ended his night in the fifth.
D'Arnaud started it with a massive home run over the Green Monster, his remarkable eighth of the month and 13th since June 6, having been acquired in May by the Rays, who got him from the Dodgers after they signed him following his release by the Mets. The blast was estimated at 453 feet by Statcast.
The eight homers match the most of any Ray in July, and his 24 RBIs match the third most. The Rays tied it two batters later on a homer by Garcia.
They took the lead shortly thereafter. Mike Brosseau singled and Nate Lowe doubled to end Price's night then with the Sox bringing in righty Marcus Walden, Cash sent quickly to his new toy, pinch-hitting lefty Sogard for inconsistent righty hitting shortstop Willy Adames. Sogard got the run home with a grounder to first.
