Ryan Yarbrough pitched a career-high 7 2/3 superb innings, and Travis d'Arnaud backed him with a three-run homer as the Tampa Bay Rays once again stymied the host Boston Red Sox's bats in a 9-2 win Saturday to kick off a day-night doubleheader.

Yarbrough (5-2) gave up the two runs (one earned) on four hits and struck out seven as the Rays won their fourth straight to tie the New York Yankees atop the American League East standings.

The Red Sox, who lost 5-1 Friday despite entering the series outscoring opponents 31-13 over a four-game winning streak, were kept to one run until Jackie Bradley Jr. homered in the eighth. Star slugger J.D. Martinez was again sidelined by back spasms.

While Yarbrough cruised, Red Sox spot starter Josh Smith -- called up as the team's 26th man for the twin bill -- battled through four innings. Smith (0-2) allowed four runs on seven hits and struck out three.

Tampa Bay did the bulk of its damage with two outs in the second inning after Ji-Man Choi had led off with a single. Willy Adames walked before d'Arnaud crushed his third homer in his last two games over the Green Monster in left field for a 3-0 lead.

Austin Meadows kept things going with a single, and Tommy Pham was hit by pitch ahead of Brandon Lowe singling home Meadows to complete the four-run frame.

Pham would exit the contest in the third with a bruised right wrist as a result of being hit. X-rays were negative, and he was replaced by Guillermo Heredia in left field.

The Red Sox got a run back on Sam Travis' RBI single in the second to make it 4-1, but they left two men on to squander their best chance at a rally. Yarbrough retired 12 batters in a row in a stretch from the end of the second to the sixth.

The Rays went up 5-1 in the top of the fifth when Meadows scored on a passed ball. After Bradley's homer made it 5-2, Tampa Bay responded with four in the ninth to put the game away.

--Field Level Media