Joe Maddon

Cody Ross helped the Boston Red Sox rebound from a frustrating loss. Ross homered and drove in four runs, Felix Doubront won his third consecutive start and the Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-3 on Thursday night. "I was going after this game tonight," Boston manager Bobby Valentine said. "The guys really wanted this game, and I was just going to do everything we could to win it. Just frustration (from Wednesday's loss), and we wanted to get back into the winning ways.

Daisuke Matsuzaka , who was shut down last Sunday because of a sore neck, has been cleared to pitch and is scheduled to start for Triple A Pawtucket Saturday. Matsuzaka will face Toledo in a 6:05 p.m. game at McCoy Stadium. Matsuzaka started the season on the disabled list recovering from Tommy John elbow surgery he had last June. He started a rehabilitation assignment April 23 and did not pitch particularly well in five starts, posting a 4.62 earned run average. That 30-day assignment was set to end Wednesday.

Ramon Santiago’s RBI triple in the bottom of the 10th inning gave Detroit a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night, keeping the Tigers in a virtual tie for first place on the eve of their big series against Cleveland. With one out in the 10th, Victor Martinez singled off Kyle Farnsworth (2-1). Santiago followed with a drive to the gap in right-center. Center fielder B.J. Upton did his best to run the ball down, but Martinez scored just before the relay to the plate. David Purcey (1-0)

By Mike Whitmer, Globe Staff If you ever get the opportunity to be in Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon's company, jump at it, because he's sure to entertain. Maddon pontificated, as only he can, on a number of interesting topics in the Rays' dugout before tonight's series opener. On the team's latest themed road trip, which featured bow ties and a nod to nerds everywhere: "It may have been our best theme trip to this point. Part of it was the participation by the guys and the cause attached to it. We'd never really tied ourselves — no pun intended — to a cause, and now we've got the bow-tie...

Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon has been ejected from the Rays' game against Boston for arguing a called third strike to John Jaso. Jaso took a 3-2 pitch for the third out of the sixth inning, stranding a runner on third with Boston leading 4-3. It was Jaso's third strikeout of the game. Jaso seemed ready to take first base before home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt called him out. Maddon came out to argue. Wendelstedt also had words with B.J. Upton after he was called out on strikes in the fifth.

Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon admits he broke a rule when he let outfielder Sam Fuld warm up as a pitcher but pulled him before he threw a pitch. Fuld pinch-hit in the top of the eighth inning Monday night, then took the mound with an 8-1 lead. By rule, Fuld should have faced at least one Milwaukee batter. Instead, Maddon took out Fuld and brought in reliever Cesar Ramos. The Rays won 8-4. The umpires said they thought Fuld was sore. “We got away with violating a rule,’’ Maddon said Tuesday.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Dan Johnson to the rescue. One of the unheralded contributors in Tampa Bay’s drive to the AL pennant two years ago is at it again, hitting game-winning homers and helping the Rays make a push for another division title. Johnson smacked a pair of two-run homers last night, lifting the Rays to a 4-3 victory over the New York Yankees and back into first place in the AL East. “My goodness,’’ Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. “This guy does nothing but get big hits.’’ The teams with baseball’s top records flip-flopped...

TAMPA -- As David Ortiz stepped into the batter's box to face lefthander Scott Kazmir with two away and the bases empty in the first inning of last night's game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, this is what he saw. Third baseman Aubrey Huff was playing your basic left field. Left fielder Carl Crawford was playing in left-center. Center fielder Rocco Baldelli was playing in right-center, shaded slightly toward center. Right fielder Russell Branyan was playing right field. Shortstop Julio Lugo was playing second base, in something approaching double-play depth.

Baltimore is no longer interested in free agent slugger Manny Ramirez, Orioles vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said yesterday. "I don't know that Manny Ramirez is a fit for our club right now," he said. The 39-year-old Ramirez retired last season rather than serve a suspension for violating Major League Baseball's drug policy. He was suspended 100 games, but the ban was trimmed to 50 because he sat out nearly all of the 2011 season. A week ago, Duquette said he had conducted exploratory talks with Ramirez's agent.

Slumping Carlos Pena hit a three-run homer during a five-run fourth and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 8-5 on Tuesday night. Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon moved Pena up from the middle of the lineup to the leadoff spot in an attempt to help him break out of an offensive funk. Pena, who snapped an 0 for 18 slide on his sixth homer of the season, entered Tuesday hitting just .116 in May. Pena's homer to center off Drew Hutchison (3-2) was estimated at 452 feet.

Slumping Carlos Pena hit a three-run homer during a five-run fourth and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 8-5 on Tuesday night. Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon moved Pena up from the middle of the lineup to the leadoff spot in an attempt to help him break out of an offensive funk. Pena, who snapped an 0 for 18 slide on his sixth homer of the season, entered Tuesday hitting just .116 in May. Pena's homer to center off Drew Hutchison (3-2) was estimated at 452 feet.

Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon saw some positive signs even in a loss from Matt Moore. Cody Ross homered and drove in four runs, Felix Doubront won his third consecutive start and the Boston Red Sox beat Moore and the Rays 5-3 on Thursday night. Moore (1-4) gave up three runs and five hits in six innings for Tampa Bay, which had its four-game winning streak snapped. The left-hander, who retired his last 10 batters, had allowed 12 runs over nine innings in his previous two starts.

Cody Ross helped the Boston Red Sox rebound from a frustrating loss. Ross homered and drove in four runs, Felix Doubront won his third consecutive start and the Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-3 on Thursday night. "I was going after this game tonight," Boston manager Bobby Valentine said. "The guys really wanted this game, and I was just going to do everything we could to win it. Just frustration (from Wednesday's loss), and we wanted to get back into the winning ways.

The Tampa Bay Rays were nursing a one-run lead when manager Joe Maddon pulled starter Jeremy Hellickson and turned to Joel Peralta to get the final out in the seventh inning. Nick Johnson was at the plate for the Baltimore Orioles, and Maddon loved the matchup. "I liked Joel on Johnson," Maddon said later. "I feel great about Joel Peralta in any situation. " Maddon's hunch backfired. Johnson hit his first homer in two years, a two-run drive that gave the Orioles a 4-3 victory Friday night in a duel for first place in the AL East.

By the time David Price found the right pitches, it was too late for the Tampa Bay Rays. Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson homered off Price and the New York Yankees hit several other balls really hard, too, in a 5-3 win Thursday night that sent the Rays to their fourth loss in five games. "I thought he was catching more of the plate," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. "If you make those mistakes against that team over there they are going to make you pay for it. " CC Sabathia outpitched Price for the first time in six career matchups...

Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon has become a big fan of the sacrifice fly. Desmond Jennings had one of the Rays' team record four sacrifice flys and drove in three runs as Tampa Bay beat the Minnesota Twins 6-2 on Sunday. "From a spectator's perspective, it's one of the more boring plays in all of baseball," Maddon said. "But from the dugout perspective, I can to tell you how exciting it is to see that. " Tampa Bay's four sac flys were the most by an AL team since Seattle had five in a game — which tied the major league record — against Kansas City...

Tampa Bay Rays All-Star third baseman Evan Longoria is getting out of his hitting funk by moving to the top of the lineup. Longoria normally hits third or fourth, but he was in the leadoff spot for Saturday’s game against the Cleveland Indians. The slugger entered Saturday mired in a 4-for-33 slide before getting a pair of hits in his first two at-bats, including a solo homer in the third inning. It was his first home run and RBI this season at home, coming in his 12th game.

Former All-Star third baseman Robin Ventura is replacing the fiery Ozzie Guillen as manager of the Chicago White Sox , agreeing to a multiyear deal yesterday. A longtime star with the White Sox, Ventura was hired by the club last June as a special adviser to director of player development Buddy Bell . Ventura is the 39th White Sox manager overall, including 17 who played for the team. When general manager Ken Williams asked whether he would be interested in replacing Guillen, Ventura admitted he was surprised.

B.J. Upton knew his return from a back injury could be tough, and it was. Josh Willingham extended his season-opening hitting streak to 14 games with a go-ahead three-run double and the Minnesota Twins beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 on Friday night. Upton was reinstated from the 15-day disabled list by the Rays before the game. He grounded out with a runner on third and two outs in the second, and finished 0 for 3. "It's not going to happen overnight, but I don't expect it to be a thing that drags out for a long time," Upton said.

The Yankees have issues, but they could emerge as the team that's impossible to beat. The Rays have superb pitching talent, but may not have enough offense. The Red Sox have major pitching holes and Toronto may be nipping at their heels. We take a look at each team and the predicted order of finish for the 2012 season: AL EAST 1. Tampa Bay — You have to buy into the hype because of their prime-time pitching staff and improved power with the additions of Luke Scott and the return of Carlos Pena.