BOSTON (AP) — Josh Beckett won his first game in a month, Alex Gonzalez led an eight-run third inning and the Boston Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 9-1 in a game called by rain in the top of the sixth Saturday night.

It was another encouraging sign for Beckett after a four-game stretch in which he allowed 24 earned runs and 12 homers in 24 1-3 innings. The Red Sox ace’s comeback began last Monday when he gave up three runs in seven innings in a 3-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox in which he retired his last 10 batters.

On Saturday, Beckett (15-6) allowed four hits with four strikeouts and a walk in five innings. The last hit was a double by Evan Longoria leading off the sixth, the final batter before the field was covered in a pouring rain. After a 55-minute delay, the game was called at 11:54 p.m.

The start of the game had been delayed for 2 hours, 5 minutes in which there was no rain most of the time, but forecasts showed improving conditions. Friday night’s game was postponed by rain after just 12 minutes of play that began after a delay of 2 hours, 20 minutes. It was rescheduled as part of a day-night doubleheader on Sunday.

Beckett’s victory was his first since Aug. 12 when he allowed two runs in seven innings in an 8-2 win over Detroit. His five-game winless stretch was his longest since July 29-Aug. 19, 2006.

Wade Davis (0-1) was shelled after an outstanding major league debut six days earlier when he left with a 3-1 lead after seven innings – he allowed three hits and one walk with nine strikeouts. But Detroit’s Brandon Inge hit a grand slam in the ninth off Russ Springer.

On Saturday, Davis retired the side in order in the first. He walked the first two batters in the second then struck out the last three. But he fell apart in the third when Gonzalez had two hits, two runs, three RBIs and a stolen base.

Gonzalez led off with a single, stole second and took third on Dustin Pedroia’s one-out single. Then Victor Martinez, Kevin Youkilis and David Ortiz hit consecutive RBI singles for a 3-0 lead.

Jason Bay followed with a walk, loading the bases, and Youkilis scored on a wild pitch. J.D. Drew then was walked intentionally, reloading the bases, and Gonzalez cleared them with a double.

Dale Thayer replaced Davis and allowed an RBI single by Jacoby Ellsbury inside the first-base line that made it 8-0.

In the fourth, Youkilis hit his 25th homer of the season.

The rain resumed in the top of the fifth, but play continued as Tampa Bay scored its only run.

With one out, Akinori Iwamura singled, only the second hit off Beckett. Dioner Navarro was hit on the foot by a pitch and Jason Bartlett singled in a run with two outs before Carl Crawford flied out to end the fifth.

NOTES: Tampa Bay is 12-18 since Aug. 7 after going 52-34 from April 30 to Aug. 5. … Martinez extended his hitting streak to 13 games, a stretch in which he is batting .356 (16 for 45). … Youkilis went 2 for 2 with a walk and is hitting .400 in his last 13 games (18 for 45). … Tampa Bay’s Fernando Perez made a twisting catch in deep center field but struck out in both his at-bats. … Boston won its sixth straight home game.

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