BOSTON – Rookie Scott Kazmir outpitched Pedro Martinez to lead the Tampa Bay Devil Rays over Boston 5-2 Tuesday night and sent the Red Sox to consecutive losses for the first time in more than five weeks.

The Red Sox, who lead the major leagues in runs, were shut out for a season-high 16 straight innings before pinch-hitter Trot Nixon’s two-run homer in the eighth off Travis Harper.

Boston, which had cut its AL East deficit from 10 games on Aug. 16 to three games coming in, had not lost back-to-back games since Aug. 4 at Tampa Bay and Aug. 6 at Detroit.

Kazmir (2-1), a highly regarded prospect acquired from the New York Mets on July 30 for Victor Zambrano, made his fourth major league start and struck out a season-high nine, including five in a row. He allowed three hits in six innings and walked three.

Danys Baez pitched the ninth for his 16th straight save and 27th in 29 chances.

Martinez (16-6) struck out 10 but walked a season-high five and allowed solo homers to Carl Crawford and Rocco Baldelli, leaving after six innings. He dropped to 9-2 at Fenway Park this season.

The Devil Rays won their third straight game after losing 12 in a row, but it was a disappointing homecoming for the Red Sox. They were 5-2 on the trip that ended Sunday with a 2-0 loss at Seattle and began with a three-game sweep in Oakland.

The Red Sox, who began the night 41/2 games ahead of Anaheim in the wild-card race, are 16-4 in their last 20 games, with three of the losses against rookies they faced for the first time.

Martinez struggled in the first inning, allowing Crawford’s ninth homer of the year and walks to Julio Lugo and Aubrey Huff before retiring a batter.

He gave up just two hits the rest of the way: Baldelli’s 13th homer in the third and Toby Hall’s single in the sixth.

Tampa Bay made it 4-0 in the seventh on RBI singles by Huff off Alan Embree and Jose Cruz Jr. off Mike Timlin. Huff hit an RBI grounder in the eighth.

Boston threatened in the fifth with no outs on a double by Kevin Millar and a walk to Orlando Cabrera. But Kevin Youkilis struck out, Gabe Kapler fouled out and Kazmir picked Millar off second.

Notes: Boston has been shut out just three times this year. … Youkilis took over in the fifth at third base from Mueller, who left with a sore right knee. … Boston’s Mark Bellhorn was 0-for-4 with four strikeouts…..In Kansas City, Mike Mussina pitched three-hit ball for eight innings and struck out a season-high 11, leading the New York Yankees over the Royals 4-0. Jason Giambi went 0-for-3 with a walk and a long drive to the right-field warning track in his first start for the Yankees since July 23. Giambi is hitless in his last 24 at-bats.