BOSTON -- The relentlessness was back for the Red Sox on Tuesday night, a welcome sight for the fans who braved the bitter cold at Fenway Park.Backed by the same grind-it-out plate approach that matched so much of their success last season, the Red Sox rolled to a 7-4 victory over the Rays.There were quality at-bats from top to bottom.Shane Victorino had a four-hit night and added a sacrifice fly. Mike Napoli had only one hit, but he saw 33 pitches in five plate appearances and drew two walks. 
Jackie Bradley Jr. hammered a pair of doubles, the latter of which brought home two runs in the five-run rally that swung the momentum for good in the sixth.Will Middlebrooks, who recently returned from the disabled list along with Victorino, was also in the middle of the action, scoring twice, drawing a walk and ripping an RBI double.A.J. Pierzynski continued his recent surge with a two-hit night.But it wasn't all about the offense. John Lackey went eight innings for the second straight start, giving up six hits and two runs and striking out five.Amid the chilly conditions, the ball wasn't carrying much for either team.Victorino broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth with a sacrifice fly to center against Rays starter Erik Bedard that was plenty deep enough to score Middlebrooks. Bradley had the big hit in the inning, a double to the gap in left-center that moved Middlebrooks (walk) to third.The Rays bounced right back in the top of the sixth when Desmond Jennings jump-started a rally with a one-out double and moved to third on a single by Matt Joyce. That put Jennings in position to score on Evan Longoria's sacrifice fly to right-center.It didn't stay tied for long. The Red Sox got what turned out to be the game-turning rally started in the bottom of the sixth when Napoli and Jonny Gomes led off with back-to-back walks against reliever Brandon Gomes. With Juan Carlos Oviedo pitching, Pierzynski ripped an RBI single up the middle to put Boston back in front.Middlebrooks followed with an RBI double and Bradley unloaded for a two-run double to center, and Boston had a 6-1 lead.Ian Browne / MLB.com
Jackie Bradley Jr. hammered a pair of doubles, the latter of which brought home two runs in the five-run rally that swung the momentum for good in the sixth.Will Middlebrooks, who recently returned from the disabled list along with Victorino, was also in the middle of the action, scoring twice, drawing a walk and ripping an RBI double.A.J. Pierzynski continued his recent surge with a two-hit night.But it wasn't all about the offense. John Lackey went eight innings for the second straight start, giving up six hits and two runs and striking out five.Amid the chilly conditions, the ball wasn't carrying much for either team.Victorino broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth with a sacrifice fly to center against Rays starter Erik Bedard that was plenty deep enough to score Middlebrooks. Bradley had the big hit in the inning, a double to the gap in left-center that moved Middlebrooks (walk) to third.The Rays bounced right back in the top of the sixth when Desmond Jennings jump-started a rally with a one-out double and moved to third on a single by Matt Joyce. That put Jennings in position to score on Evan Longoria's sacrifice fly to right-center.It didn't stay tied for long. The Red Sox got what turned out to be the game-turning rally started in the bottom of the sixth when Napoli and Jonny Gomes led off with back-to-back walks against reliever Brandon Gomes. With Juan Carlos Oviedo pitching, Pierzynski ripped an RBI single up the middle to put Boston back in front.Middlebrooks followed with an RBI double and Bradley unloaded for a two-run double to center, and Boston had a 6-1 lead.Ian Browne / MLB.com
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