Ortiz powers Red Sox past Tampa Bay

NEW YORK (Reuters) - David Ortiz slammed a pair of solo home runs and Curt Schilling notched his 14th win to help the Boston Red Sox edge the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 3-2 in St Petersburg on Friday.

Ortiz underlined his MVP credentials with a two towering homers, including the game winner, giving Big Papi" a major league best 39 home runs for the season and 107 RBI.

"Everybody takes responsibility and everybody is trying to do their thing," Ortiz told MLB.com. "That's what we need right now, guys to step forward and do whatever it takes to win games."

Curt Schilling (14-4) also displayed Cy Young form as the 39-year-old right-hander delivered seven sharp innings, giving up two runs on nine hits, striking out four and walking a pair to help the Red Sox to their third win in five games.

Carl Crawford and Damon Hollins each tagged Schilling for a solo home run but the Devil Rays would get no more, Manny Delcarmen tossing an inning of scoreless relief before Jonathan Papelbon took over in the ninth to get the final three outs.

It was his 30th save of the season and a big win for the Red Sox, allowing them to keep pace with the New York Yankees, who slipped past the Baltimore Orioles 5-4 and continue to lead the American League east by a game.

"That was a struggle," said Schilling. "It was an important game.

"They're all important. But on the heels of everything that has happened, it was a grind tonight."

Catcher Javy Lopez, obtained from the Baltimore Orioles earlier in the day, was pushed into immediate service by the Red Sox when Doug Mirabelli went down with an ankle injury in the first inning following a collision at home plate.

Lopez failed to get an in on his Red Sox debut, going 0-for-four.

The Devil Rays took the early lead, with Hollins connecting on a first-inning homer and Crawford adding another in the third to put the home side 2-0 ahead.

But the Red Sox struck for three unanswered runs, Ortiz getting Boston on the board with a solo blast in the fourth before Kevin Youkilis tied the game in sixth on a sacrifice fly.

Ortiz then capped the comeback, with an eighth inning lead-off homer to deep center off Seth McClung (3-11).

In Baltimore, Jorge Posada connected on a ninth inning solo home run to lift the Yankees past the Orioles 5-4.

Deadlocked at 4-4 with one out, Posada took the first pitch he saw from closer Chris Ray and parked over the wall in deep right for his 14th homer of the season.

The Yankees extended their win streak to five games, Johnny Damon also slamming his 14th homer of the season, a first-inning solo shot to put New York ahead.

Miguel Cairo contributed a pair of RBI to the win and Derek Jeter extended his hitting streak to 13 games.

Yankees ace Randy Johnson worked six innings, allowing four runs on nine hits but did not figure in the decision, Scott Proctor (4-2) getting two outs in the eighth to take credit for the win.

Mariano Rivera came on in the ninth to seal the victory along with his 27th save.

New York led 3-0 in the second but the Orioles score twice in the third and fifth innings to take a 4-3 lead.

Craig Wilson doubled in Jason Giambi, setting up the chance for Posada's game winner.

(Writing by Steve Keating in Toronto)