Rays walk off with win over Sox; Boston gets strong start from Buchholz, but bats fall silent.

• Position: Sports

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Rene Rivera had a run-scoring single in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Boston Red Sox, 2-1, on Thursday night.

Allan Dykstra opened the ninth with a single off Anthony Varvaro (0-1). Pinch-runner Tim Beckham went to second on Kevin Kiermaier's one-out single and scored the winning run on Rivera's hit down the third-base line.

Brad Boxberger (2-1) struck out one during a perfect ninth for the win.

The Rays have won in two in a row after dropping the four first games of a nine-game homestand.

Tampa Bay's Jake Odorizzi gave up one run, three hits, three walks and had three strikeouts in 6⅔ innings.

Starter Clay Buchholz allowed one run and two hits over six innings for Boston. He struck out 10 and walked three.

Buchholz didn't allow a run over 21 innings in his previous three road starts against the Rays, dating to 2012. The streak ended when the Rays tied it at 1 in the second on an RBI single by Logan Forsythe.

Boston opened the scoring earlier in the second on Daniel Nava's sacrifice fly.

Kiermaier made a diving catch in center charging toward the infield after first breaking the wrong way on Mookie Betts' fly with two on and two outs in the fifth.

The announced attendance for the three-game series was just 40,874, including 13,834 Thursday.

Red Sox right fielder Shane Victorino (right hamstring) didn't play and may also sit out today when Boston opens a series in Baltimore.

Rick Porcello starts tonight for the Sox after allowing eight runs in five innings to the Orioles Sunday.

Rose will play role

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred says Pete Rose will play some role during this summer's All-Star Game in Cincinnati.

Speaking Thursday with the Associated Press Sports Editors, Manfred said he has not determined a timetable to decide on Rose's application to end his lifetime ban from baseball. The ban started in...