BOSTON -- When their game against Boston was postponed Wednesday due to inclement weather, the Tampa Bay Rays made it clear they had no interest in playing a doubleheader Thursday. [url=http://www.custom49ersjersey.com/custom-tom-rathman-jersey-large-19 28d.html]Tom Rathman Jersey[/url] . The Red Sox

BOSTON -- When their game against Boston was postponed Wednesday due to inclement weather, the Tampa Bay Rays made it clear they had no interest in playing a doubleheader Thursday. Tom Rathman Jersey . The Red Sox got their way. The Rays got the last laugh. Yunel Escobar homered off Boston closer Koji Uehara leading off the ninth inning to propel Tampa Bay to a 6-5 win and a day-night doubleheader sweep on Thursday night. The Rays won the opener 2-1. "I really believe that we had vociferously fought for just one game, for a lot of obvious reasons," said Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon. "I mean, Im not going to hide from the reasons -- we have a lot of guys injured, we had a lot of very difficult games more recently, so we wanted one game and pick it up later when were at greater health. "It just did not work out that way, thus our players came out and made a statement today and I kind of enjoyed it." Escobar crushed the second pitch from Uehara (0-1) over the Green Monster in left field for his second homer of the year, and Grant Balfour recorded the final three outs for his second save of the day and sixth of the season. "Hes a very good relief pitcher and it was a very uncomfortable at-bat," Escobar said through a translator. "(I) got a splitter up and (I) just tried to get good wood on the ball and (I) was able to hit it out." Sean Rodriguez and Desmond Jennings also went deep for last-place Tampa Bay, which won for just the third time in nine games. "I didnt know we didnt want to play. No one asked me," Balfour said with a laugh. "Im pretty happy that we did." So is Maddon. "Im so proud of our guys, the way they handled the entire moment," he said. "Nobody complained about anything. Nothing -- and they just went out and played really good baseball for 18 innings. It was pretty astounding to watch the whole thing play out." The first game was just as wild, but for an entirely different reason. With Tampa Bay leading 2-1 in the seventh, Dustin Pedroia was called out on a close play at the plate, thrown out on a relay from Escobar at shortstop while attempting to score from first on Ortizs double high off the Monster. After a 1 minute, 52 second delay, it was announced the call "stands." Boston third base coach Brian Butterfield was ejected by first base umpire Toby Basner for slamming his helmet to the ground. "I just dont like the whole inconclusive deal," said Pedroia, who didnt think he was tagged before crossing the plate. "Replay, you should go check it out and youre either out or safe. I dont know what inconclusive means. Maybe that means someone doesnt want to make a decision." Pedroia may have beaten catcher Jose Molinas sweeping tag with a feet-first slide, but it was unclear if he touched the plate before the tag. Basner, rotating as the umpires moved on the play, made the call at the plate. "I thought not only did Dustin beat the throw, beat the tag, but felt like his left foot made some contact with home plate," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "Our video internally showed that that was the case." The Rays then charged back from a 5-2 deficit in the nightcap. Rodriguezs two-run homer off Boston starter Felix Doubront in the sixth brought Tampa Bay within one, and Rodriguez tied it in the seventh off reliever Junichi Tazawa, doubling and scoring on James Loneys single. Uehara then uncharacteristically surrendered Escobars blast, just the fourth homer he has allowed at Fenway Park since joining Boston before last season. "It happens every year, April, May," Uehara said through a translator. "I think even last year I didnt pitch that well." NOTES: It was the first doubleheader for both teams since last year when the Red Sox swept the Rays in Fenway Park on June 18. ... The Rays open a three-game series against the New York Yankees on Friday. Tampa Bay LHP David Price (3-2, 4.75) will oppose New York LHP Vidal Nuno (0-0, 6.59). . Boston will host the Oakland Athletics for a three-game series beginning Friday, with Red Sox RHP Clay Buchholz (1-2, 6.66) facing Athletics RHP Dan Straily (1-1, 5.14). Tarvarius Moore Jersey . -- Canadas Milos Raonic defeated Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France on Saturday to advance to the third round of the BNP Paribas Open. Russ Francis Jersey . Van Slyke drove in a career-high four runs with two homers off struggling left-hander Tony Cingrani, and the Los Angeles Dodgers pulled away to a 6-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night, a rare comfortable win in their pitching-dominated series. http://www.custom49ersjersey.com/custom-billy-wilson-jersey-large-208d.html . The CFL will help tackle womens cancers by playing four special "CFL PINK" games this weekend.Frank Lampard says Patrick Vieiras team-talk after New York Citys 7-0 loss to New York Red Bulls in May helped improve the sides form. New York City suffered their worst defeat in the clubs history to their fierce rivals, New York Red Bulls, and are set to face off for the third and final time of the regular season - live on Sky Sports.Since then, Manchester Citys sister club have gone on to win five of their last eight league matches, including the clubs first victory against the Red Bulls - a 2-0 win on July 3 - and are now first in the Eastern Conference standings. There has also been a marked improvement in Lampards form - five goals in his last six matches - and the former Chelsea midfielder says Vieiras words after the 7-0 thrashing helped spark their upturn in motion.Patrick was great after the match, he was very smart, Lampard told Sky Sports.It was about drawing a line under it, not dwelling on it and still taking the positives from it. The positive response was very smart.We could have cried, and been fearful of the future that we want, but we wanted to push on from there and if you look at our results since then thats been great and exactly the right reaction that you want.With New York City joining MLS in 2015, the two sides have gone head-to-head a total of five times, with the Red Bulls winning four of the clashes. Lampard has five goals in six games for New York City but some of them have been scored in a fortuitous manner Lampard has featured in three of those with City still searching for their first win at Yankee Stadium against their main rivals, and the 38-year-old says it is a rivalry which is improving the more the two sides play each other. Richard Dent Jersey. I think its growing, he added. Its fairly new and enhanced by the fact that we beat them for the first time, the two teams are pretty close.But theyre out in New Jersey, and we take to heart the fact we are in New York City itself and within the five boroughs so I think the rivalry is going to get stronger.You can sense in the build-up to the week with the fans and social media.Watch the New York derby on Sky Sports 3 from 5.55pm on Sunday or follow with our live blog. You can watch an extended interview with Frank Lampard when Soccer AM returns on August 6. Also See: Drogba, Pirlo to face Arsenal WATCH: Lampards fluke goal Gerrard: No job at Liverpool Pirlo sales eclipse Lampard ' ' '