Carlos Peña hit a 3-run homer off Mike Timlin in the 14th inning to give the Tampa Bay Rays a 4-2 win over the Boston Red Sox in front of 38,114 at Fenway Park. The win drops the Red Sox to 2.5 games out of first place behind the Rays.

Javier Lopez started the 14th by striking out Gabe Gross. Timlin came in and got Jason Bartlett to ground out for the second out. Akinori Iwamura singled and went to second on a Rocco Baldelli single. Peña then took a fastball the opposite way into the Green Monster seats for a 3-run homer and 4-1 Rays lead. Timlin followed that with a walk to Ben Zobrist but struck out Wily Aybar to end the inning.

The Red Sox didn’t go quietly in the bottom half of the inning but couldn’t get the job done even with loading up the bases with no outs.

Jacoby Ellsbury led off the inning with a double of Rays closer Troy Percival. He then got a little wild as he walked Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz to load up the bases. Rays manager Joe Maddon came out to the mound with the trainer and after some discussion, Percival left the game with an unknown injury. Jason Hammel came in to face Kevin Youkilis and got him to hit a fly ball that scored Ellsbury to cut the lead to 4-2 as Pedroia went to third. Hammel then got a big strikeout of Jason Bay and Alex Cora flew out to center field to end the game.

Josh Beckett was sharp in second start off the disabled list.

Josh Beckett started this one for the Red Sox and was outstanding again in his second start back from the disabled list. He went 6 innings, allowing 1 run on 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 7. The bullpen was outstanding behind him as well as Hideki Okajima, Justin Masterson, Manny Delcarmen and Lopez combined on 7 1/3 scoreless innings of work. Timlin worked the final 2/3 of an inning giving up 3 runs on 3 hits and a walk to take the loss.

Pedroia led the Red Sox with 2 hits and was on base 6 times during the game and also drove in a run. Jed Lowrie also had 2 hits while Ellsbury, Mark Kotsay, Jason Varitek and Chris Carter had the other hits for the local nine.

The Rays got on the scoreboard first in the 2nd inning.

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Josh Beckett looks to get the Red Sox back to a ½ game out of first place in the AL East.

After a failed opportunity to take over first place in the AL East last night, the Boston Red Sox will try to take the series from the Tampa Bay Rays and head into their off day tomorrow sitting .5 games back.

That task belongs to the best big game pitcher the Red Sox have right now in Josh Beckett. Josh Baseball has faced the Rays 3 times this season and is 2-1 with a 2.57 ERA. In his career, he’s made 8 starts and is 5-3 with a 3.59 ERA. In 5 starts vs the Rays since ’07, is 4-1 with a 2.72 ERA (10 ER/33.0 IP) and a 40/5 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Andy Sonnanstine starts for the Rays tonight and leads them with 13 wins. He has not faced the Red Sox this season but has made 4 starts and is 1-1 with an 8.85 ERA.

The Red Sox will have another body in the bullpen as David Aardsma has been activated from the disabled list. He threw a perfect inning last night, including two strikeouts for the Lowell Spinners.

Joe McDonald of the ProJo has some notes about J.D. Drew.

Lineups and batter/pitcher matchups after the jump.

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Registration for a random drawing for the opportunity to purchase tickets for any 2008 Red Sox postseason games that may be played at Fenway Park begins at 12 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 11.  Fans may register for the drawing online at redsox.com.

The random drawing for tickets to any American League Division Series games that may be played at Fenway will be Monday, Sept. 15. Fans that are selected for the opportunity to purchase tickets for ALDS games will be notified via e-mail on Tuesday, Sept. 16. The e-mail will provide winners with instructions on how to purchase online between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 19.

For fans who do not have internet access, or those not selected in the online random drawing, a limited number of tickets will be set aside for purchase by telephone (while supplies last) beginning at 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19 at (617) 482-4SOX. No tickets will be available at the Fenway Park ticket office. Fans with disabilities may call (877) RED-SOX9 beginning at noon on Friday, Sept. 19 to purchase accessible seating (while supplies last). Hearing impaired patrons may call the TTY line at (617) 226-6644.

There will be a one-game, two-ticket purchase limit for each winner selected. Ticket prices for the ALDS are $130 for Field Box Seats and Loge Box Seats, $100 for Pavilion Box Seats and Right Field Box Seats, $55 for Grandstand Seats, $35 for Bleacher Seats and $30 for standing room.

Per the norm, the daily roundup will take the day off on Thursdays from football news and include all of that in Friday’s UConn Huskies football preview.

Jeff Jacobs of the Hartford Courant writes the questions stop with the UConn defense.

Chip Malafronte of the New Haven Register writes that Randy Edsall said to blame him for the play calling during yesterday’s press conference.

Chip also has some other notes of interest from yesterday’s press conference.

John Silver of the Journal Inquirer offers his thoughts on the play calling.

Jonathan Papelbon is human no matter what you've heard.

This just in. Boston Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon is human.

Folk’s, it’s going to happen from time to time, Papelbon is going to blow a game once in a blue moon. Of course you really don’t want to happen when there’s a chance of the Red Sox moving back into first place for the first time since before the All-Star break. But hey, the game of baseball is a funny game. Things happen sometimes that are out of your control.

The one thing I have to wonder about as far as Papelbon goes is the fact that it was his third straight game pitching. Red Sox skipper Terry Francona brought him into Sunday’s game in Texas to get some work since he hadn’t pitched in a while. He then had to get 4 outs in Monday’s game. Steve echoed my sentiments last night that you couldn’t really complain about his fastball velocity (he was hitting 96 MPH) but something could be said of his command.

He came out throwing cheddar last night and the 6th pitch he threw to Dan Johnson was a 96 MPH fastball that ended up in the seats behind the Red Sox bullpen in right field. He then continued to throw fastballs until a visit from John Farrell. Then he started to mix in his other pitches. Obviously we know the season is winding down and everyone has their aches and pains, but did the 3 straight days of pitching plus the normal aches and pains affect Papelbon last night. We will probably never know the answer to that question.

Let’s just chalk it up to the once in a blue moon and forget about it. I’m pretty darn sure Papelbon already has.

Michael Berger of WEEI explores Papelbon’s workload for the second time this week.

Papelbon got punk’d before yesterday’s game by David Ortiz. As soon as I can get my hands on the video, I will post it up here. It’s going to air tonight on Comcast SportsNet New England at 6:30 PM and again at 10:00 PM.

The Rays organizational depth is being put to the test.

Sean Casey has two more City Hall videos. In this one, he talks about his fantasy football team and in the second one, Paul Byrd stops by for a quick chat.

Another unlikely player was the hero for the Rays last night.

David Ortiz was supposed to get last night’s game off but ended up pinch-hitting late in the game.

The Red Sox said no to TBS about Curt Schilling being used as an analyst during the playoffs.

Julio Lugo hopes to return to the Red Sox as the starting shortstop (Ian’s instant analysis: two words, Jed Lowrie).

For more slices of Boston Red Sox goodness, head over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Hartford Courant and Providence Journal websites.

And if you must see what the enemy papers are saying you can check out the Tampa Tribune and St. Petersburg Times websites.