When Dave Page was told Tuesday that he was fired as the strength and conditioning coach for the Boston Red Sox, he said it felt as if he was being made a scapegoat for the players’ fitness woes.

“The bottom line is we weren’t ready to play physically, fundamentally or mentally the way we should have been, like a championship team should have been,” Page said during a nearly 20-minute interview on Boston sports radio station WEEI on Friday afternoon.

Page said that the perception there were players on this Red Sox team that weren’t focused on maintaining their conditioning, particularly in September, was a correct one. The Red Sox went 7-20 in September to slide out of the playoff race.

Page said there were four players in particular — one position player, one starting pitcher and two relievers — whose fitness was deemed unsatisfactory at the end of the season.

“We got to the end of the year and we had four guys that we thought didn’t make it to that part of the season where we hoped they would be,” said Page, who declined to identify the players. “For the most part, most of all of everybody else stayed within range of where we wanted them to be.”

“

The bottom line is we weren’t ready to play physically, fundamentally or mentally the way we should have been, like a championship team should have been.

”
– Ex-Red Sox strength coach Dave Page

In fact, Page explained, he had approached one player during the final series of the season in Baltimore to discuss why that player had seemingly given up on staying in shape. The player didn’t have an answer, he said.

“I did have a good conversation with one player at the end of the year in Baltimore that kind of opened my eyes,” Page said. “I said, ‘Hey, what’s going on here, bro? It seems like you’ve pulled the plug a little bit, and why?’ He kind of looked down at the ground, looked back at me and said: ‘I don’t know why. I can’t answer that question.’ Which was kind of a shock.”

Page would not identify the player, though he did tell WEEI it was not Josh Beckett, who has taken the most heat in the aftermath of the team’s collapse and reports of lethargy, beer-drinking and fried-chicken eating in the clubhouse. He did reveal, however, that Beckett was concerned with his weight. By the end of the season, even fans had noticed the pitcher had put on pounds.

“He did express some concerns himself,” Page said. “In fact, he brought it up to me and the other members of our training staff, that he felt he was getting a little sideways, so to speak, with his weight. I don’t think it was something that was just noticed by us. I certainly think he felt the same way.”

The veteran right-hander finished the season with a 13-7 record and a 2.89 ERA in 30 starts, but he had a 5.40 ERA in his last five starts and gave up 12 runs in his last two.

Page told the Boston Herald the primary reason Beckett cut back on workouts was because it was producing results. According to Page, during Beckett’s dominant stretch in May and June, the pitcher had reduced his fitness regimen. Because he had pitched great during that span — a 4-2 record and a 1.97 ERA in 10 starts — he decided to stick with that routine hoping that the success would carry throughout the summer and into the fall.

“He did things that were away from his normal program,” Page told the Herald. “A lot of it, Josh is a routine-oriented guy. If he pitches well doing one thing for those four days leading up to that start, he’s probably going to do it again. It’s funny to say, but he’s got some superstitious tendencies that way. That’s not an abnormal thing in baseball.

“But what happened was he had a string of really good starts where he wasn’t doing the things we used to do in ’07, ’08 and ’09, and he was having success with it. And he’s like, ‘I’m feeling good doing these things, so I’m going to stick with it.’ For the short term, it probably worked. For the long term, it probably wasn’t the best plan.”

Page explained that each player’s workout routine is tapered toward the end of the season, but he said he was still surprised by how much certain players cut back.

“There were some guys who peeled it back more than I thought, more than I would have liked them to,” Page said. “For the most part this team worked hard.”

The things Page was noticing about his players’ conditioning were passed along to the front office and manager Terry Francona, he explained. Page said part of his job entailed sending a weekly report on players’ fitness routines.

“If somebody wasn’t represented on that sheet, everybody would know about it every week,” Page said.

He also said he went to Red Sox staff members to express concerns.

“There were a couple of times when someone from the front office or the uniformed coaches would come to me and say something, but for the most part, it was me going to them saying, ‘Hey, I’m having trouble reaching this guy,’ ” Page said. ” ‘Can you give me some backup here? Let’s try to use my words and your voice and see what happens.’ “

Did he feel as if he was being supported by management in trying to get some players in line?

“I would say it’s been a lot better in the past,” Page said.

Page, like many players and executives before him, downplayed the presence of beer and fried chicken in the clubhouse.

“There was a lot of grumblings but I think that whole chicken-and-beer thing has gotten a lot of unnecessary play, to be honest with you,” he said. “I really didn’t see chicken in the clubhouse all that often.

“If they were drinking beer it was probably upstairs and I wasn’t up there. You’ll see the starting pitcher drink a beer when he comes out of the game, that’s pretty common. In my opinion it wasn’t as rampant as it’s gotten to be made out to be.”

Along with Page, who had been the team’s strength and conditioning coach since 2006, the Red Sox fired assistant trainer Greg Barajas, who had been a trainer with the Sox since 2009 after spending 12 seasons as a minor league trainer.

Page said that since his firing, he’s estimated he has heard from about 90 percent of the Red Sox’s current roster expressing support. One of the players, Page said, texted him saying he felt guilty.

“He texted me and said, ‘I feel this is all my fault,’ ” Page said. “I don’t want to say who it was, because that’s between him and me. But he did say that.”

The Red Sox did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Joe McDonald covers the Red Sox and Bruins for ESPNBoston.com.

Follow Joe McDonald on Twitter: @espnJoeyMac

Feel free to leave your comments below.

Published: Oct. 19, 2011 at 2:16 PM

BOSTON, Oct. 19 (UPI) — Three Boston Red Sox pitchers have denied a report that they drank beer in the dugout during games.

The Boston Globe said Jon Lester, Josh Beckett and John Lackey denied the WHDH-TV, Boston, report Tuesday that the pitchers drank Bud Light in the dugout as early as the sixth inning in some games and the drinking became more frequent as the season progressed.

WHDH cited two unidentified team employees, and the Globe said it later confirmed the report.

But the Red Sox issued a news release Tuesday night in which the team and all three pitchers denied the allegation.

“The accusation that we were drinking in the dugout during games is completely false,” Lester said in the release. “Anonymous sources are continuing to provide exaggerated and, in this case, inaccurate information to the media.”

WHDH said Beckett had instigated the drinking, the Globe reported.

“I cannot let this allegation go without response; enough is enough,” Beckett said in the release. “I admit that I made mistakes along the way this season, but this has gone too far. To say that we drank in the dugout during the game is not true.”

“There are things that went on this season that shouldn’t have happened, but this latest rumor is not true, and I felt that it was important to try to stop this from going any further,” Lackey said.

Team President Larry Lucchino said the pitchers “assured us that the allegation that surfaced today about drinking in the dugout during games in 2011 is false, and we accept their statements as honest and factual.”

The Globe said Lester has admitted drinking beer with Josh Beckett and John Lackey in the clubhouse during games but not the dugout.

Thanks for reading! .

Embattled Red Sox pitchers Jon Lester, Josh Beckett and John Lackey denied a TV report Tuesday that said they drank beer in the dugout during games.

The allegation is the latest in a rough stretch for Boston, which missed the playoffs following a record collapse, going 7-20 in September and finishing at 90-72.

Manager Terry Francona was let go last month, general manager Theo Epstein appears to be on his way out and Lester, Beckett and Lackey have caught much of the blame for the team’s season-ending skid.

“Tonight our organization has heard directly from Jon, Josh, John, and former manager Terry Francona,” team president Larry Lucchino said Tuesday in a release.

“Each has assured us that the allegation that surfaced today about drinking in the dugout during games in 2011 is false, and we accept their statements as honest and factual.

“It is time to look forward and move forward, rather than allow a reckless, unsubstantiated accusation from ‘anonymous sources’ to mislead the public.”

WHDH-TV, citing two unidentified Red Sox employees, reported Tuesday that Beckett, Lester and Lackey would fill their cups with beer in the Fenway Park clubhouse, then return to the dugout and drink while watching the game.

One of the employees told WHDH-TV the three starters appeared “bored on nights they weren’t pitching and this is how they entertained themselves.”

“The accusation that we were drinking in the dugout during games is completely false,” Lester said in the release issued by the team. “Anonymous sources are continuing to provide exaggerated and, in this case, inaccurate information to the media.”

Said Beckett: “I cannot let this allegation go without response; enough is enough. I admit that I made mistakes along the way this season, but this has gone too far. To say that we drank in the dugout during the game is not true.”

The Boston Globe reported last Wednesday that Beckett, Lackey and Lester would eat fried chicken, drink beer and play video games in the clubhouse during games, instead of being in the dugout with their teammates. That story was based on “team sources.”

“There are things that went on this season that shouldn’t have happened, but this latest rumour is not true,” Lackey said in Tuesday’s release, “and I felt that it was important to try to stop this from going any further.”

Said Francona: “In 32 years of professional baseball, I have never seen someone drinking beer in the dugout.”

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What do you guys think about this.

Talk about some bad hops in Boston.

On Wednesday night, the Boston Red Sox denied a local report by WHDH-TV that pitchers Josh Beckett(notes), John Lackey(notes) and Jon Lester(notes) drank beer in the home dugout at Fenway Park during games this season. The report comes about a week after a story in the Boston Globe said the same three pitchers drank beer in the clubhouse and ordered out for fried chicken during games when they weren’t pitching.

The clubhouse, the dugout. What’s next, while warming up in the bullpen? On the pitcher’s mound in the top of the second inning? Homestands turning into keg stands?

[Related: Red Sox finger-pointing officially begins]

WHDH, citing claims of two unnamed (of course) Red Sox employees, said the dugout drinking happened on multiple occasions, regardless of the game’s score, when Beckett, Lackey and Lester were not pitching. Check out this … hastily written excerpt:

Beckett, Lester and Lackey would exit the dugout as early as the 6th inning, walk back to the clubhouse, and fill cups with Bud Light beer. They would then return to the dugout with cups of beer and drink while watching the game. [...]

One Red Sox employee described the routine like this: “Beckett would come down the stairs from the dugout, walking through the corridor to the clubhouse and say ‘It’s about that time’. Becket was the instigator but Lester and Lackey were right behind him. [...]“

A second Red Sox employee said Beckett, Lester and Lackey appeared “bored on nights they weren’t pitching and this is how they entertained themselves.”

Grown men, acting like beer zombies, with Beckett as the lead zombie. The players, along with former manager Terry Francona, issued flat denials via the team’s website. Said Lester:

“The accusation that we were drinking in the dugout during games is completely false. Anonymous sources are continuing to provide exaggerated and, in this case, inaccurate information to the media.”

Team president Larry Lucchino said the team accepts the denials as truth, and went a step further, calling the WHDH report “a reckless, unsubstantiated accusation from ‘anonymous sources’ to mislead the public.”

Right. Drinking in the clubhouse during the game — we’re looking into what happened, and we’re implying that we’re sorry about whatever it was— but drinking in the dugout? Preposterous!

The players put themselves and the team in this position by their own behavior — which they’ve all admitted to. So there’s no reason to have any sympathy for them. Lester has said there’s no correlation between the bad behavior and Boston’s epic swan dive in September, but even allowing for that dubious assertion misses the bigger point.

Imagine yourself sitting in the stands at Fenway, trying to get through one of Beckett’s agonizing four-hour-long starts, or any appearance by Lackey, without downing at least one beer. Insanity would set in. But seriously, does it even have to be said that fans pay to watch the Red Sox, and the players are supposed to be working — even if they’re not playing at the moment? And Bud Light?

All of this is on Beckett, Lackey and Lester. They need to quit crying in their beer and start acting like professionals again.

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TORONTO — Boston Red Sox right-hander Josh Beckett has a sprained right ankle and will miss his next scheduled start.

Beckett left in the fourth inning of Monday’s start at Toronto after experiencing pain in his ankle on consecutive pitches. He flew back to Boston on Tuesday to be examined by a specialist.

Red Sox medical director Dr. Tom Gill said in a statement that Beckett’s “examination was consistent with an ankle sprain,” adding that an MRI revealed no damage to Beckett’s ankle tendons or his Achilles’ tendon.

He will be re-evaluated later this week.

Red Sox manager Terry Francona said Beckett will miss his start Sunday at Tampa Bay. John Lackey will pitch Friday in place of Erik Bedard (left knee), Kyle Weiland will go Saturday and Jon Lester will pitch Sunday.

An All-Star for the third time this season, Beckett is 12-5 in 27 starts. His 2.49 ERA is tied with Los Angeles Angels right-hander Jered Weaver for second-lowest in the AL, behind Detroit’s Justin Verlander (2.34).

That’s all the news for today.

Gotta run!.

TORONTO — Boston Red Sox right-hander Josh Beckett has a sprained right ankle and will miss his next scheduled start.

Beckett left in the fourth inning of Monday’s start at Toronto after experiencing pain in his ankle on consecutive pitches. He flew back to Boston on Tuesday to be examined by a specialist.

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TORONTO — Boston Red Sox starter Josh Beckett left Monday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays in the bottom of the fourth inning with a sprained right ankle, the team announced.

Beckett, who had pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings with six strikeouts before the injury, appeared to have caught the foot on the area just in front of the pitching rubber when delivering a pitch to Blue Jays rookie Brett Lawrie.

Manager Terry Francona and a Red Sox trainer visited the mound immediately after the pitch and the call was made to remove Beckett, who was replaced by Alfredo Aceves.

Beckett entered the game with a 2.53 ERA and a 12-5 record.

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Not much else going on in the MLB planet today.

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CBSSports.com wire reports
July 23, 2011

BOSTON — Boston Red Sox right-hander Josh Beckett was finished with another strong outing and then he watched Daniel Bard put on his own performance.

Bard, who came in after Beckett went seven solid innings, loaded the bases with no outs before retiring the next three batters in Boston’s 3-1 win over Seattle on Saturday night, sending the Mariners to a club-worst 14th consecutive loss.

“That was pretty impressive what Daniel did out there,” Beckett said. “I think he was trying to prove something to himself.”

It’s a formula that’s worked well for Red Sox manager Terry Francona this season: Get the lead after seven innings and turn it over to Bard and closer Jonathan Papelbon.

“He got himself into a bind and got himself right out of it,” said Francona, who earned his 1,000th career win as a major-league manager. “Not many guys can do that.”

Papelbon pitched the ninth for his 23rd save in 24 chances, improving Boston’s record to 53-2 when it leads after seven innings and 54-0 when it holds an edge after eight.

Bard increased his scoreless innings streak to 24 over 23 outings, the longest active shutout streak in the majors.

But it didn’t happen before he put himself in a rough spot.

“I’ve been fortunate. I haven’t had a lot of long innings and a lot of jams and guys past first base,” he said. “To go out and do that and get through a tough one, I was happy about it.”

Dustin Ackley began the inning with a single and took second on a walk to Justin Smoak. Adam Kennedy then bunted, and Bard fielded it and threw to third baseman Kevin Youkilis, whose foot was off the base. Then Bard retired Mike Carp on a shallow fly to left, Jack Cust on a strikeout and Franklin Gutierrez on a groundout.

Papelbon came in and closed it out, allowing only a leadoff single to pinch hitter Miguel Olivo. He fanned Ackley to end it.

Francona became the 57th manager to reach 1,000 wins — the eighth still active. Boston moved a season-high three games ahead of the New York Yankees for the lead in the AL East.

Jacoby Ellsbury’s two-run single highlighted a three-run seventh for Boston, which won for the sixth time in seven games.

Seattle’s 14 straight losses matches a stretch from September 1992.

Beckett (9-3) allowed seven hits and one walk and struck out seven. The only run he allowed came on a homer in the seventh by Carp, his second in two nights since being recalled from Triple-A Tacoma last Monday.

Seattle starter Blake Beavan (1-2) retired the first two batters in the bottom of the seventh then allowed three straight hits, including the single by Ellsbury, who scored on a wild pitch by reliever Aaron Laffey.

Both teams had five hits through six innings. The Mariners had left four runners in scoring position through six innings before Carp’s homer.

Cust was stranded at second after a two-out double in the second. Smoak also was left at second in the fourth after grounding into a forceout and advancing on a wild pitch by Beckett. And Seattle stranded runners at second and third in the sixth after the first two batters, Ichiro Suzuki and Brendan Ryan, singled.

The Red Sox got a one-out double in the first from Dustin Pedroia, but the next two batters struck out. The hit extended Pedroia’s career-best hitting streak to 20 games.

Boston nearly scored in the second when David Ortiz led off with a double and took third on a single by Carl Crawford. Josh Reddick popped out to second base before Jason Varitek hit a flyball to center field. Gutierrez made the catch, then threw home on a fly to double up Ortiz, who had tagged.

The Red Sox got another runner to third in the third. Ellsbury started the inning with a single and kept going to second when the ball got by left fielder Carp for his second error in two days. Ellsbury took third on a groundout, but was stranded when Adrian Gonzalez flied out.

Gonzalez got a one-out double in the sixth, but was tagged out when Youkilis grounded to third.

Notes

• Pedroia has reached base in 32 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the majors.
• Carp had been optioned to Triple-A Tacoma on July 3 when Beavan was called up.
• Former Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell, who retired after last season, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
• Beckett has allowed more than three runs just twice in his 19 starts this season.
• Beavan has allowed a total of nine runs in his four starts.

Leave your comments on the news below.

Dustin Pedroia.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Dustin Pedroia singled with two outs in the top of the 16th inning, snapping a scoreless tie and giving the Boston Red Sox a 1-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday night.

Josh Beckett and five relievers combined to pitch a three-hitter for the Red Sox, who won for the eighth time in nine games, retaining a 1 1/2-game lead over the second-place New York Yankees in the AL East.

Pedroia lined a single to right field off Adam Russell (1-2), driving in Josh Reddick from third base. Reddick drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and to third on Marco Scutaro’s infield hit.

Alfredo Aceves (5-1) pitched three scoreless innings for the win. Jonathan Papelbon worked the bottom of the 16th for his 21st save in 22 opportunities.

It was the longest 1-0 game in the major leagues since the Brewers at Angels on June 8, 2004 went 17 innings, according to STATS LLC. The longest 1-0 game ever was 24 innings between the Mets and Astros in 1968.

Both teams got outstanding performances from their starting pitchers, with Beckett allowing one hit — an infield single — and Tampa Bay’s Jeff Niemann limiting the Red Sox’s potent lineup to pair of singles through eight innings. They both also wasted opportunities to win it long before it ended after five hours 44 minutes — the longest by time in Rays franchise history.

Beckett limited the Rays to one hit in a 3-0 complete game shutout at Tropicana Field last month, and the all-star right-hander was equally tough on them this time.

Reid Brignac’s third-inning, infield single was Tampa Bay’s lone hit off Beckett on June 15. Evan Longoria’s grounder back to the mound bounced off the pitcher’s right foot with two outs in the first and was the only blemish on his pitching line Sunday as he struck out six and retired the last 22 batters he faced.

Niemann was almost as good while working a season-high eight innings, allowing a two-out single to Adrian Gonzalez in the first and Pedroia’s single down the left field line leading off the fourth. The 6-foot-9 right-hander walked Reddick with one out in the fifth and Scutaro with two outs in the eighth, fanned a career-high 10 and didn’t allow a runner past second base.

Pedroia finished with three of the Red Sox’s five hits. The rest of the team was 2-for-45.

Both teams wasted opportunities to win it in the ninth.

The Red Sox loaded the bases on Pedroia’s double and two walks before reliever Kyle Farnsworth escaped by getting Reddick to fly to centre field. Longoria flied to right, sending the game into extra innings after Boston’s Daniel Bard gave up a two-out single to Johnny Damon and walked Ben Zobrist in the bottom of the ninth.

Boston narrowly missed going ahead when Gonzalez lined a pitch toward the left field corner that tailed into foul territory in the 10th, then failed to score after loading the bases with no outs on three walks in the 11th. Jake McGee struck out Reddick and Cruz fanned Varitek and got Scutaro to foul out to get out of the inning.

Rays manager Joe Maddon and bench coach Dave Martinez were ejected by plate umpire Chad Fairchild during the 11th inning. Maddon was tossed during a pitching change, leaving Martinez to lead the Rays. Martinez was ejected after leaving the dugout to have words with Fairchild after Scutaro slammed his bat to the ground in frustration after popping up.

The bat bounded toward catcher Kelly Shoppach, but did not prevent him from making the catch.

The Red Sox improved to 12-2 since June 30, hiking the best record in the AL to 57-36. The third-place Rays have lost 9 of 15 to fall a season-high seven games off the pace in the division.

Beckett was scratched from the all-star game in Phoenix last Tuesday night after feeling soreness in his left knee while warming up in the bullpen. The right-hander pitched just five innings in his last start before the break against Baltimore after slightly hyperextending his knee on a wet mound at Fenway Park.

Since spending six weeks on the DL with a lower back strain, Niemann has turned his season around with four strong performances over five starts since his return on June 20 against Milwaukee. In six starts prior to going on the DL, he went 1-4 with a 5.74 ERA.

Notes: Boston manager Terry Francona said LF Carl Crawford (strained left hamstring) will be in the starting lineup for Monday night’s game at Baltimore. He finished a two-game rehab assignment at triple-A Pawtucket on Saturday. … Tampa Bay RF Matt Joyce was scratched from the starting lineup because of a sore knee. The first-time All-Star was injured when he fouled a ball off his right kneecap during the fifth inning Saturday. He pinch hit in the ninth against Bard and lined out. … Red Sox LHP Jon Lester (strained back muscle) is scheduled to rejoin the rotation a week from Tuesday and pitch against Kansas City. … David Ortiz had no news about his appeal of a four-game suspension stemming from Boston’s bench-clearing melee with Baltimore on July 8. The slugger thinks he could get an update Monday.

Gotta run!.

Updated Jul 18, 2011 7:06 AM ET

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)

The streaking Boston Red Sox worked some serious overtime for their latest victory.

Dustin Pedroia singled with two outs in the top of the 16th inning, snapping a scoreless tie and giving the AL East leaders a 1-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday night.

Josh Beckett and five relievers combined to pitch a three-hitter for the Red Sox, who won for the eighth time in nine games, retaining a 1 1/2-game lead over the second-place New York Yankees in the division.

Pedroia lined a single to right field off Adam Russell (1-2), driving in Josh Reddick from third base. Reddick drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and to third on Marco Scutaro’s infield hit.

”I just wanted to go home. I think everybody did,” said Pedroia, who was 3 for 7 while the remainder of the Red Sox went 2 of 45 against nine Tampa Bay pitchers.

”They threw the ball outstanding all night and we did, too. It was a great game. I’m just happy we won.”

Alfredo Aceves (5-1) pitched three scoreless innings for the win. Jonathan Papelbon worked the bottom of the 16th for his 21st save in 22 opportunities.

It was the longest 1-0 game in the major leagues since the Brewers at Angels on June 8, 2004, went 17 innings, according to STATS LLC. The longest 1-0 game ever was 24 innings between the Mets and Astros in 1968.

Both teams got outstanding performances from their starting pitchers, with Beckett allowing one hit, an infield single, and Tampa Bay’s Jeff Niemann limiting the Red Sox’s potent lineup to pair of singles through eight innings. They both also wasted opportunities to win it long before it ended after 5 hours, 44 minutes — the longest by time in Rays history.

Beckett limited the Rays to one hit in a 3-0 complete game shutout at Tropicana Field last month, and the All-Star right-hander was equally tough on them this time.

Reid Brignac’s third-inning, infield single was Tampa Bay’s lone hit off Beckett on June 15. Evan Longoria’s grounder back to the mound bounced off the pitcher’s right foot with two outs in the first and was the only blemish on his pitching line Sunday as he struck out six and retired the last 22 batters he faced.

Niemann was almost as good while working a season-high eight innings, allowing a two-out single to Adrian Gonzalez in the first and Pedroia’s single down the left field line leading off the fourth. The 6-foot-9 right-hander walked Reddick with one out in the fifth and Scutaro with two outs in the eighth, fanned a career-high 10 and didn’t allow a runner past second base.

Pedroia extended his hitting streak to 15 games, one shy of his career best. He’s also reached base in 27 consecutive games dating to June 15, the longest current stretch in the majors.

”By that time it’s not just physical, but it’s mentally draining,” Red Sox manager Terry Francona said of Pedroia’s winning hit. ”That’s probably the one guy you know is going to figure out a way.”

Both teams wasted opportunities to win it in the ninth.

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

CBSSports.com wire reports
July 18, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The streaking Boston Red Sox worked some serious overtime for their latest victory.

Dustin Pedroia singled with two outs in the top of the 16th inning, snapping a scoreless tie and giving the AL East leaders a 1-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday night.

Josh Beckett and five relievers combined to pitch a three-hitter for the Red Sox, who won for the eighth time in nine games, retaining a 1 1/2-game lead over the second-place New York Yankees in the division.

Pedroia lined a single to right field off Adam Russell (1-2), driving in Josh Reddick from third base. Reddick drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and to third on Marco Scutaro’s infield hit.

“I just wanted to go home. I think everybody did,” said Pedroia, who was 3 for 7 while the remainder of the Red Sox went 2 of 45 against nine Tampa Bay pitchers.

“They threw the ball outstanding all night and we did, too. It was a great game. I’m just happy we won.”

Alfredo Aceves (5-1) pitched three scoreless innings for the win. Jonathan Papelbon worked the bottom of the 16th for his 21st save in 22 opportunities.

It was the longest 1-0 game in the major leagues since the Brewers at Angels on June 8, 2004, went 17 innings, according to STATS LLC. The longest 1-0 game ever was 24 innings between the Mets and Astros in 1968.

Both teams got outstanding performances from their starting pitchers, with Beckett allowing one hit — an infield single — and Tampa Bay’s Jeff Niemann limiting the Red Sox’s potent lineup to pair of singles through eight innings. They both also wasted opportunities to win it long before it ended after 5 hours, 44 minutes — the longest by time in Rays history.

Beckett limited the Rays to one hit in a 3-0 complete game shutout at Tropicana Field last month, and the All-Star right-hander was equally tough on them this time.

Reid Brignac’s third-inning, infield single was Tampa Bay’s lone hit off Beckett on June 15. Evan Longoria’s grounder back to the mound bounced off the pitcher’s right foot with two outs in the first and was the only blemish on his pitching line Sunday as he struck out six and retired the last 22 batters he faced.

Niemann was almost as good while working a season-high eight innings, allowing a two-out single to Adrian Gonzalez in the first and Pedroia’s single down the left field line leading off the fourth. The 6-foot-9 right-hander walked Reddick with one out in the fifth and Scutaro with two outs in the eighth, fanned a career-high 10 and didn’t allow a runner past second base.

Pedroia extended his hitting streak to 15 games, one shy of his career best. He’s also reached base in 27 consecutive games dating to June 15, the longest current stretch in the majors.

“By that time it’s not just physical, but it’s mentally draining,” Red Sox manager Terry Francona said of Pedroia’s winning hit. “That’s probably the one guy you know is going to figure out a way.”

Both teams wasted opportunities to win it in the ninth.

The Red Sox loaded the bases on Pedroia’s double and two walks before reliever Kyle Farnsworth escaped by getting Reddick to fly to center field. Longoria flied to right, sending the game into extra innings after Boston’s Daniel Bard gave up a two-out single to Johnny Damon and walked Ben Zobrist in the bottom of the ninth.

Sean Rodriguez had Tampa Bay’s third hit, a leadoff single in the bottom of the 11th.

“We shut them down for 16 innings, that’s pretty impressive,” Pedroia said. “One run scored in 16 innings, that’s unbelieveable.”

Boston narrowly missed going ahead when Gonzalez lined a pitch toward the left field corner that tailed into foul territory in the 10th, then failed to score after loading the bases with no outs on three walks in the 11th. Jake McGee struck out Reddick and Cruz fanned Varitek and got Scutaro to foul out to get out of the inning.

Rays manager Joe Maddon and bench coach Dave Martinez were ejected by plate umpire Chad Fairchild during the 11th inning. Maddon was tossed during a pitching change, leaving Martinez to lead the Rays. Martinez was ejected after leaving the dugout to have words with Fairchild after Scutaro slammed his bat to the ground in frustration after popping up.

The bat bounded toward catcher Kelly Shoppach, but did not prevent him from making the catch.

The Red Sox improved to 12-2 since June 30, hiking the best record in the AL to 57-36. The third-place Rays have lost 9 of 15 to fall a season-high seven games off the pace in the division.

“It was a nice win. It was a long win,” Francona said. “But they don’t give us extra credit.”

Beckett was scratched from the All-Star game in Phoenix last Tuesday night after feeling soreness in his left knee while warming up in the bullpen. The right-hander pitched just five innings in his last start before the break against Baltimore after slightly hyperextending his knee on a wet mound at Fenway Park.

Since spending six weeks on the DL because of lower back strain, Niemann has turned his season around with four strong performances over five starts since his return on June 20 against Milwaukee. In six starts prior to going on the DL, he went 1-4 with a 5.74 ERA.

Notes

• Gonzalez went 1 for 15 in the series, dropping his batting average 12 points to Boston manager Terry Francona said LF Carl Crawford (strained left hamstring) will be in the starting lineup for Monday night’s game at Baltimore. He finished a two-game rehab assignment at Triple-A Pawtucket on Saturday.
• Tampa Bay RF Matt Joyce was scratched from the starting lineup because of a sore knee. The first-time All-Star was injured when he fouled a ball off his right kneecap during the fifth inning Saturday. He pinch hit in the ninth against Bard and lined out.
• Red Sox LHP Jon Lester (strained back muscle) is scheduled to rejoin the rotation a week from Tuesday and pitch against Kansas City.
• David Ortiz had no news about his appeal of a four-game suspension stemming from Boston’s bench-clearing melee with Baltimore on July 8. The slugger thinks he could get an update Monday.

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