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No comeback today

ST. PETERSBURG - The Sox couldn't come back from a 5-0 deficit and bowed to the Devil Rays 5-2 today ending their road trip with five wins and two losses.

Manny Ramirez and Kevin Youkilis stroked back-to-back solo homers in the 8th but the Sox couldn't mount anything against Rays reliever Gary Glover in the ninth, even with Jason Varitek and J.D. Drew being used as pinch-hitters in the 9th.

Varitek walked, but the Sox couldn't do much else.

The game ended on a great diving stop at shortstop by Brendan Harris, to force Varitek at second.

Too bad for Dice K, who pitched 6-1/3 innings and was charged with two earned runs. He allowed a solo homer to Dioner Navarro in the 7th on an 0-2 pitch right down the middle of the plate. He allowed a single to Josh Wilson before coming out for Manny Delcarmen.

The Red Sox have scored two or less runs while Matsuzaka was in the game in 10 of his last 12 starts.

Delcarmen didn't have it today. He allowed a three-run homer to B.J. Upton and a solo shot to Carlos Pena.

It was 5-0 at that point and the Sox couldn't get all the way back back this time.

Scott Kazmir shut out the Sox over the first six innings. he was taken out after 97 pitches. While Red Sox Nation was rubbing their hands and saying 'Goody...' the Sox weren't able to exploit the horrible Rays bullpen this time.

Besides the homers, Wily Mo Pena stroked a pair of hits in defeat. Pena played right-field in place of Drew against the tough lefty Kazmir.