ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) – Coco Crisp and Julio Lugo had two-run doubles during a five-run fourth to help the AL East-leading Boston Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 8-6 on Tuesday night.

Jason Varitek hit an RBI single before consecutive doubles by Crisp and Lugo gave Boston a 7-2 lead. Crisp had driven in just two runs in his previous 19 games.

David Ortiz, who hit a rare triple, and Manny Ramirez had first-inning RBIs as the Red Sox improved to 23-16 since the All-Star break. With the win, the Red Sox increased their lead over the Yankees to 51/2 games. New York played at the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night.

Jon Lester (2-0) allowed five runs and four hits over 5 1-3 innings. The left-hander, who struck out four and walked four, won for the first time since beating Cleveland on July 23, when he returned to the mound after undergoing treatment for lymphoma.

Jonathan Papelbon pitched a perfect 1 1-3 innings, striking out three, for his 30th save in 32 opportunities. He became the first Red Sox pitcher to have at least 30 saves in two different seasons.

Carlos Pena and Akinori Iwamura homered for the Devil Rays, who dropped to a season-worst 31 games under .500 at 47-78. Pena’s shot was his 28th this year, a new career high for him.

Iwamura pulled Tampa Bay within 7-5 on a three-run shot in the fifth. It was his fourth this season and his first since June 23.

Boston took an 8-5 lead in the seventh when Dustin Pedroia doubled and later scored from third when Devil Rays shortstop Josh Wilson was charged with an error for misplaying Ramirez’s two-out grounder.

Tampa Bay got the run back in bottom of the seventh when Pedroia mishandled Carl Crawford’s two-out liner for an error that allowed Wilson to score from third.

Ortiz drove in a run with his first triple of the season and Ramirez followed with a sacrifice fly to put the Red Sox up 2-0 in the first. Ortiz has 12 triples overall in 1,157 career games.

Pena’s two-run shot that tied it at 2 in the bottom of the first.

Devil Rays right-hander Andy Sonnanstine (2-9) gave up seven runs and eight hits in five innings. He is 1-9 over his last 13 starts.

Notes: Red Sox RHP Curt Schilling has spoken highly about Tampa Bay starters Scott Kazmir and James Shields, and on his weekly show on WEEI-Radio in Boston said if an ideal situation came about he would consider joining the Devil Rays next year. “You know it’s one of those situations you certainly look at,” Schilling said. “If circumstances were to happen and they were to make some moves that were positive, I’d love nothing more than to finish my career working on a pitching staff where I know that there were young guys that were going to be positively impacted by me being around.” … Boston manager Terry Francona said Ramirez would “probably” get Wednesday off. … Tampa Bay CF Rocco Baldelli went 0-for-3 in his second minor league rehab game with Class-A Vero Beach.

AP-ES-08-21-07 2231EDT