Jose Molina Injury: Rays catcher day to day

Jose Molina will miss crucial games for Tampa Bay during the season's final stretch.

Rays vs. Red Sox Final Score: Tampa Bay stays alive with 4-2 win

The Tampa Bay Rays kept their playoff hopes alive with a 4-2 win over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night. Carlos Pena and Ben Francisco both hit home runs, while the Tampa Bay pitching staff combined to hold the Sox to two runs on four hits.

Alex Cobb took the win for Tampa, going five innings while giving up one run on three hits. Kyle Farnsworth took over at the start of the bottom of the sixth but was pulled after he walked Dustin Pedroia and gave up a single to Cody Ross. Jake McGee entered and gave up a sacrifice fly, with the run charged to Farnsworth, and that was all the damage Boston would do.

With seven games remaining, the Rays are 2½ games out of the second AL wild card. They need to keep winning to have any hope of making the playoffs, and they'll look to do so as they start a four-game series with the Chicago White Sox on Thursday.

Rays vs. Red Sox lineups: Alex Cobb takes the mound for Tampa Bay

The Tampa Bay Rays are wrapping up their brief two-game series against the Boston Red Sox. The Rays will be sending Alex Cobb to the mound in hopes of keeping their American League wild card hopes alive. Currently Tampa Bay is three games out of both the first and second wild card spot.

Cobb is getting his second straight start against the Red Sox, he pitched last week and lasted six innings. He earned the loss but he gave up only two hits and three earned runs. He will just need some offense to back him up.

The Rays are making a few lineup changes on Wednesday with Jeff Keppinger taking the designated hitter spot after playing at second base on Tuesday. Ryan Roberts replaces Keppinger at second base and will be batting fifth.

Rays lineup:
1. Desmond Jennings RF
2. B.J. Upton CF
3. Ben Zobrist SS
4. Evan Longoria 3B
5. Jeff Keppinger DH
6. Carlos Pena 1B
7. Ben Francisco LF
8. Ryan Roberts 2B
9. Jose Lobaton C
Alex Cobb P

Red Sox lineup:
1. Pedro Ciriaco 3B
2. Scott Podsednik CF
3. Dustin Pedroia 2B
4. Cody Ross RF
5. James Loney 1B
6. Jarrod Saltalamacchia C
7. Ryan Lavarnway DH
8. Daniel Nava LF
9. Jose Iglesias SS
Jon Lester P

Red Sox vs. Rays preview: Game time, TV schedule and more

The Tampa Bay Rays inched closer to their playoff goals with a series-opening win against the Boston Red Sox Tuesday night and if they can make it consecutive victories on Wednesday, the Rays could find themselves just one game out of the hunt for the second Wild Card spot.

Tuesday was a successful day for the Rays in large part due to David Price's brilliant performance on the mound in which he pitched a complete game, struck out 13 and only gave up two runs and seven hits. This time, Alex Cobb (9-9, 4.27 ERA) takes the hill for the Rays.

For the Red Sox, Jon Lester (9-13, 4.96 ERA) will get the start. Boston is one of six American League teams that's already eliminated from playoff contention. The Red Sox have dropped five of their last six games and 19 of 26.

TV: Sun Sports

Time: 7:10 p.m. ET

Location: Fenway Park

Rays vs. Red Sox: Tampa Bay wins, 5-2

Tampa Bay, in danger of falling further down the AL Wild Card race, needed a big game from their ace David Price on Tuesday night.

He more than delivered, throwing a complete game in a 5-2 Rays victory over the Red Sox.

The 6'6, 220-pound lefty had pinpoint command all night, throwing 13 strikeouts and not walking a single batter. The only runs Boston scored came on a Danny Valencia single in the second and a balk from Price in the third.

Tampa got out to an early lead in the second, with Jeff Keppinger hitting a 3-run HR off of Clay Bucholz. And with the way Price was throwing on Tuesday, that was more than enough.

The Rays got a bit of insurance in the sixth, as Jose Molina drove in two run on a single. However, Molina came up lame in the bottom half of the inning with a strained quad, a dark cloud in an otherwise great day of baseball for Tampa.

Rays vs. Red Sox lineups: Evan Longoria starts at 3B

The Tampa Bay Rays find themselves in eerily familiar territory in late September: needing to win, and need American League rivals to lose.

Joe Maddon and the Rays are putting their best foot forward Tuesday night in Boston, as Rays superstar Evan Longoria is starting at third base, rather than designated hitter. Longoria has not played much in the field since returning from the disabled list, as the Rays try to keep Longoria healthy.

Both Joe Maddon and Bobby Valentine have announced the starting lineups for Tuesday's game, and they are as follows:

Tampa Bay Rays

LF Desmond Jennings
CF B.J. Upton
SS Ben Zobrist
3B Evan Longoria
DH Luke Scott
2B Jeff Keppinger
RF Matt Joyce
1B Carlos Pena
C Jose Molina

SP David Price

Boston Red Sox

DH Pedro Ciriaco
LF Daniel Nava
2B Dustin Pedroia
RF Cody Ross
1B Mauro Gomez
C Ryan Lavarnway
3B Danny Valencia
CF Che-Hsuan Lin
SS Jose Iglesias

SP Clay Buchholz

While the Rays are putting an ideal lineup on the field, the Red Sox are putting together one of their weaker lineups in recent years. We'll see if that translates into a Rays victory.

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Rays Vs. Red Sox Preview: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

The Tampa Bay Rays are in desperate need of a win against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night at Fenway Park.