Final: Red Sox 13, Rays 5

SOX IN FIRST (10:31, END 9, 13-5)
Nothing but a beat down tonight. Powered by six homers from six different players, the Red Sox moved into a first-place tie in the AL East at the Trop, where they won for the first time in seven tries this year. Dice-K moves to 17-2. David Pauley pitched the ninth. Not one for Scott Kazmir's scrapbook. Three hit batsmen, zero dugouts emptied.

Twins and White Sox both lost. The Red Sox' magic number is six. There's a serious chance the Sox will clinch the wild card this road trip.

And commenter Thomas Reilly comes through with an answer: "The record for most home runs in a game by different players on the same team is 8. The records was set by Reds in 1999. They had a total of 9 home runs in the game (the record for most total HRs is 10 by the Jays in 1987 - the Reds have the NL record thanks to this game) but two were hit by the same guy, Eddie Taubensee."

SMOOTH SAILING FOR TIMLIN (10:17, END 8, 13-5 SOX)
Timlin allowed a one-out walk, but it was quickly erased on a classic Cora-to-Lowrie-to-Bailey double play. David Pauley is now warming.

TIMLIN MAKES (OBSCURE) HISTORY (10:15, BOT 8, 13-5 SOX)
This is 1,051st relief appearance. No right-handed lifeform has ever made that many relief appearances. He passes Kent Tekulve for the mark. He's now nine appearances behind Dan Pleasac for most all time. (Timlin also has four career starts.)

HERE COMES TIMLIN (10:11, MID 8, 13-5 SOX)
Chris Smith's night is over after allowing four runs in two innings, a pair of two-run homers. The Red Sox did nothing eventful in their half of the eighth.

The trivia answer from the question below: Byung-Hyun Kim

Commenter Larry Rosoff asks another good one: What is the record for most players from one team to hit home runs in one game? I tried looking this up and had no luck. Does anybody have answer? Do you, Larry?

TIMLIN WARMING (9:58, TOP 7, 13-5 SOX)
Dan Johnson of Coon Rapids, Minn., just drilled a two-run home run to left field, the second home run Chris Smith has allowed tonight. Even before Smith allowed the tater, Mike Timlin had started throwing.

Also, here's some trivia: Who got the save the last time the Red Sox hit six home runs in a game? Answer later.

SMITH GIVES ONE UP (9:45, MID 7, 13-3 SOX)
Chris Smith gave up a two-run home run to Justin Ruggiano last inning, his first of the night. The Sox could not respond in their half. Kevin Cash is now in the game, playing third base.

DICE-K OUT (9:30, MID 6, 13-1 SOX)
Chris Smith has come on to begin the sixth. He's s long man, and the Sox will probably try to ride him for the rest of the game, maybe get Dervern Hansack some work.

Matsuzaka's final line: 5 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 7 K, 1 HR, 1 HBP. He threw 101 pitches, 62 strikes. (Sorry about the error in the previous post; the scoreboard will often lose a pitch or two, and that's what I was going by.)

Jonathan Van Every is in the game now in center. David Ross is catching for Varitek. Ellsbury moved to left.

LOWELL OUT (9:23, TOP 6, 13-1 SOX)
Mike Lowell was hit by a pitch, another jersey-grazer. It was high and tight, though, and Lowell chucked his bat aside before he jogged to first, none too pleased. He trotted back to the bench afterward. His sore hip will get a rest and Alex Cora will run for him. Surely, he'll stay in at short and Lowrie will move to third.

ORTIZ DOUBLES, LEAVES GAME (9:20, TOP 6, 13-1 SOX)
Cris Carter came on to pinch run for Ortiz, who doubled to lead off the sixth. It was only to rest him; his wrist seems 100 percent fine. Carter scored on Youkilis's double.

Chris Smith is warming in the Sox 'pen.

DICE AT 100 EVEN (9:15, END 5, 12-1 SOX)
Matsuzaka has thrown 100 pitches through five innings. He put the first two men on, then retired three straight pinch-hitters, striking out Ben Zobrist and Dan Johnson, whose birthplace, the outfield scoreboard just informed the crowd, is a town called Coon Rapids. Anyone ever been?

MORE YARD WORK (9:01, MID 5, 12-1 SOX)
This time, Jacoby Ellsbury clobbered a Talbot first-pitch to right, his eighth of the season and the Red Sox' sixth of the game. Only three Red Sox have now NOT hit home runs tonight -- Crisp, Pedroia, and Lowrie. Only Lowrie does not have a hit, but he does have two walks.

The Red Sox have not hit six home runs in a game since Aug. 3, 2003, against the Baltimore Orioles. The Cincinnati Reds have twice hit seven home runs in a game this season, on May 5 and July 10. Only five teams have hit six homers in a game this season; the Red Sox make six.

DICE-K THROUGH FOUR (8:53, END 4, 11-1 SOX)
Matsuzaka allowed no more base runners, stranding Longoria at first. He has thrown 75 pitches, 48 for strikes. While it seems the Sox have locked up their first win of the year here at Tropicana Field, his performance still carries signifigance. Going into the seventh will help the keep the bullpen, already rested after Jon Lester's eight-inning start yesterday, all the more fresh. It's about efficiency now for Dice.

DICE-K PLUNKS LONGORIA, NOTHING ENSUES (8:47, BOT 4, 11-1 SOX)
Matsuzaka just got what seemed like pretty deliberate revenge for Varitek's earlier beanball, throwing inside to Evan Longoria to begin the fourth. The first-pitch fastball only grazed Longoria's shirt, and he jogged to first without incident.

IT'S GETTING UGLY (8:42, MID 4, 11-1 SOX)
Pedroia greeted Talbot to the majors rudely, whacking the fourth pitch he threw to the opposite for a solid single that plated Ellsbury and pushed Crisp to third. Talbot's next batter was David Ortiz, who grounded to second and beat out the double play to bring Youkilis up. He clobbered a pitch to left field for the Red Sox' fifth home run of the night, their highest total of the year. They had three that inning alone. And it's only the fourth. Yikes.

VARITEK CRUSHES ONE, ACHIEVES MILESTONE (8:32, TOP 4, 7-1)
Kazmir allowed his second home run of the inning, and now his night is over soon. Ellsbury, who hustled out an infield single to the right side, is on first after Crisp knocked out Kazmir with a double. But before Ellsbury reached, Varitek just crushed a home run, pulling it to left. There was no doubt from the moment cowhide struck ash. It was Varitket's 158th home run, passing Carlton Fisk for the most home runs by a catcher in as a Red Sox.

Kazmir has threw 72 pitches, and he was both erratic and hittable, never the combination you're looking for. He threw just 39 strikes. This inning alone, he allowed four hits, two home runs, a double, and a walk, and he retired no one. With no outs and two men in scoring position, Talbot will make his major league debut against Dustin Pedroia. Welcome to the bigs, kid.

KAZMIR ON THE ROPES? (8:25, TOP 4, 5-1 SOX)
Mitch Talbot is warming up in the Rays' bullpen. Lefty Jacoby Ellsbury is on deck, so it's likely Maddon at least wants that matchup.

ON THE CATWALK (8:21, TOP 4, 5-1 SOX)
Jason Bay drilled a deep fly to dead-center field, pushing back Fernando Perez to the fence. Then Perez turned his palms to the sky, and the ball disappeared. It had stuck in the 'C-Ring' catwalk, approximately 100 feet above the field, which by rule is a home run. Joe Maddon, but it didn't seem like he had much a case. The solo shot was Bay's eighth in a Red Sox uniform, his 30th overall. That's his third 30-homer season.

And Jed Lowrie just walked. Varitek is up.

RAYS STRIKE (8:17, END 3, 4-0 SOX)
Akinori Iwamura smacked a 1-2 fastball to the opposite, over the left field fence, for a solo home run with out in the third. It was his first home run since June 24 and his sixth of the season. Four of those six have come against the Red Sox. The homer seemed to be only a blip for Dice-K -- Jason Bartlett and Floyd grounded weakly to the right side to end the inning.

KAZMIR: GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS (8:11, MID 3, 4-0 SOX)
The Red Sox went down in order in the third, Ortiz popping foul, Youkilis flying to right, and Lowell striking out. Still, Kazmir has already throw 48 pitches, and he's not known as a pitcher who can go deep in games. Something to watch. Matsuzaka -- who, you may have heard, is also not an efficient worker -- threw 45 pitches through two innings. This is when it works out well for the Sox to go Lester-Dice. That former eats innings, the latter needs a fresh bullpen.

DICE-K ROLLS THROUGH SECOND (8:01, END 2, 4-0 SOX)
Matsuzaka dominated in the second, still nibbling a bit but forcing some hideous swing from the Rays. Navarro flied to center, Eric Hinske struck out a foul tip (nicely caught by Varitek), and Gabe Gross popped foul to Lowell at third.

NO HARM DONE (7:48, MID 2, SOX 4-0)
The Sox couldn't capitalize on Varitek's leadoff hit-by-pitch. Jacoby Ellsbury grounded to short for a fielder's choice, then Kazmir picked him off. Coco Crisp drew his second walk in as many at-bats, but Pedroia popped foul to catcher Dioneer Navarro.

IT MIGHT GO DOWN (7:44, TOP 2, 4-0 SOX)
Scott Kazmir drilled Jason Varitek in the shoulder with the first pitch he threw in the second inning, a ball directed near Varitek's head. Varitek glared at Kazmir on his way to first. Both managers walked out of their dugout. A fews Rays and Sox yelled at one another from across the field. More bad blood betwee these teams.

YOUKILIS STEALS SOME RUNS (7:40, END 1, 4-0 SOX)
Daisuke Matsuzaka started strong, retiring the first two batters, then yielded a bloop single and a walk. Cliff Floyd worked a 3-2 count, then lasered the payoff pitch toward first base. Kevin Youkilis took a quick step to his right, dove and snagged the ball for a backhanded catch. Floyd, barely out of the batter's box, slammed down his helmet.

ANOTHER HAYMAKER (7:23, MID 1, 4-0 SOX)
The Sox jumped out to a 3-0 lead last week in Fenway when these teams opened a series. It's 4-0 now. Kazmir snuck out of the first by striking out Jason Bay and inducing a weak fly to center from Jed Lowrie. Last week, the Sox didn't score again off Edwin Jackson and won, 3-0. Tonight, that would take an enormous change from Kazmir.

SCOTT KAZMIR THREW 11 PITCHES ... (7:20, TOP, 4-0 SOX)
and one wasn't disastrous. Kazmir walked the first two batters -- Coco Crisp and Dustin Pedroia -- on eight pithces. He threw another ball to David Ortiz, then Ortiz fouled off a slider. Kazmir threw another slider, and Ortiz, who had been hitting .189 against Kazmir and sat out against him in Fenway, blasted his 19th home run to right field for a three-run homer. Two batters later, Mike Lowell yanked a 0-1 pitch to left, his 17th homer of the season.

We'll be updating this game within this post all night. Check back every 10 minutes or so for a fresh report.