Littell allows 1 hit in 7 innings and Rays beat Red Sox 2-0

ST. PETERSBURG. Fla. — Zack Littell allowed one hit over seven innings and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Boston Red Sox 2-0 on Thursday night.

Littell (8-9), who made his team-leading 28th start in his first full season as starter, struck out seven and did not issue a walk. After Edwin Uceta pitched a perfect eighth, Garrett Cleavinger worked a 1-2-3 ninth to get his sixth save in seven chances.

Boston starts a three-game series at Fenway Park against Minnesota on Friday, trailing the Twins and Detroit by four games for the final AL wild card. The Red Sox would also need to jump over Seattle. The Rays are five games out of the third wild-card position.

The Rays need to go 2-1 or better this weekend against Toronto in their final home series of the season to have an eighth consecutive winning record at home.

Brandon Lowe drove in a run with a third-inning sacrifice off Brayan Bello (14-8). Bello gave up one run, five hits, two walks and struck out seven over 5 2/3 innings.

Boston slugger Rafael Devers went 0 for 3 with three strikeouts. He was hitless in 11 at-bats, including eight strikeouts, in the series.

Red Sox: Closer Kenley Jansen, who has had some shoulder-lat issues, threw before the game after getting his 27th save on Wednesday and is fine ... RHP Lucas Sims (right lat) was reinstated from the 15-day IL. ... RHP Luis García (right elbow inflammation) could be back in the next few days.

Rays: Shane McClanahan (Tommy John surgery) is looking forward to throwing to hitters for the first time next Thursday. ''It's exciting,'' McClanahan said, ''I miss it. Miss it to death,''

Rays: LHP Tyler Alexander (6-5, 5.58 ERA) will start or follow an opener Friday night against Toronto RHP José Berríos (16-9, 3.44 ERA). Berríos is 7-0 with an 1.51 ERA over his last seven starts.

Shohei Ohtani became the first major league player to exceed 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season during the most spectacular game of a history-making career for the Los Angeles Dodgers star, going deep three times and swiping two bags on Thursday against the Miami Marlins.