The Associated Press

BOSTON - Manny Ramirez's solo homer broke an eighth-inning tie and sparked a six-run outburst, and Pokey Reese drove in three runs Friday night to lead the Boston Red Sox to an 11-5 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

Simon Pond hit his first major-league homer for Toronto, a solo shot that tied it at 5 in the seventh. But Boston sent 11 batters to the plate in the eighth to face four Toronto pitchers before Terry Adams finally got Jason Varitek to pop up to stop the debacle.

Mike Timlin (3-1) threw two perfect innings in relief of Bronson Arroyo.

Micheal Nakamura (0-3) inherited a 5-5 tie when he came in to start the eighth inning and Ramirez greeted him with his 10th homer of the season, a shot that cleared the Green Monster, the seats above it and the fence behind them.

Varitek was hit by a pitch, and that was it for Nakamura. Valerio De Los Santos got one out before Kevin Millar doubled to put runners on second and third. Kerry Ligtenberg faced three batters - walk, single, passed ball, intentional walk - before Adams came in.

Varitek reached base four times and scored twice, and Millar drove in a pair of runs for Boston.

Vernon Wells and Josh Phelps also homered for the Blue Jays, who have lost eight of their last 10 road games.

Devil Rays 5, Indians 3

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Jose Cruz Jr. went 4-for-4 with a home run and three doubles, and Tampa Bay won consecutive games for the first time this season.

Relievers Trever Miller, Lance Carter and Danys Baez combined for six scoreless innings for the Devil Rays, who needed 40 games to record back-to-back victories. They're the 11th team to go that deep into the season without two straight wins.

The 1907 Washington Senators and 1926 St. Louis Browns also needed 40 games. The all-time mark is 60 games, set by the 1895 Louisville Colonels.

Miller (1-1) allowed one hit and struck out three after replacing starter Paul Abbott in the fourth inning. Carter retired his first four batters before walking Travis Hafner with one out in the eighth. Baez pitched the final 1 2/3 innings for his sixth save.

Abbott gave up three runs, five hits, three walks and hit a batter in three innings.

C.C. Sabathia (2-2) allowed four runs and nine hits in seven innings in his first loss to the Devil Rays after winning his first five starts against them. Sabathia threw seven shutout innings in Sunday's 10-0 win over Tampa Bay.

With the game tied 3-3, Toby Hall put the Devil Rays ahead with a sacrifice fly in the sixth.

Cruz, who drove in two runs and scored three times, doubled in his first three at-bats before hitting a solo homer in the eighth to make it 5-3.