BOSTON--Just a guess, but we're thinking @ochocinco won't be weighing in on this one.

The only folks impressed by this performance all have zip codes in the Tampa Bay area.

The math majors all say the Red Sox should still be favored to advance to the playoffs, with a three-game lead and with 13 games to play. The performance on the field, however, suggests that one team is clearly superior when the Red Sox and Rays convene, and it's not the team clinging to statistical probability as its best ticket to October.

The Tampa Bay Rays Thursday night made it six in a row over the Sox, including four wins in the last seven days, and the second consecutive win by a lopsided score. If this continues through the weekend, the teams will part ways tied for the wild-card spot. The numbers crunchers say, not to worry, but after a beating like the one meted out Thursday night by the Rays, who were just as dominant in sweeping the Sox out of the Trop last weekend, the Optimists Club has gone underground, at least for the time being,

Long before this one ended, a crowd of 38,071 had dispersed to more hospitable climes, the Sox giving them no reason to endure a pre-autumn chill and occasional showers. For the first time in memory, Neil Diamond barely had a chorus for "Sweet Caroline.''

Early on, Sox fans were cursing their luck, as the barrel of B.J. Upton's shattered bat and the groundball he hit toward the Sox shortstop arrived almost simultaneously, Scutaro's leap over the shooting shard allowing the ball to pass undisturbed through his legs for a bizarre RBI single. Rookie Kyle Weiland, who never witnessed anything that weird when he was at Notre Dame, promptly gave up a three-run home run to Evan Longoria, and the Rays led, 4-0, in the third.

But by the end of the night, luck was far down the list of reasons the Sox absorbed another whuppin' from the Rays. Tampa Bay hit two more home runs, a two-run shot by Casey Kotchman, his fourth against the Sox this season, which is three more than Sox sluggers Adrian Gonzalez (1) and David Ortiz (0) have combined to hit against the Rays.

The other home run was delivered by B.J. Upton, who can officially proclaim that he is Matt Albers' daddy after taking Albers deep for the second straight at-bat. On Sunday, Upton hit a slam off Albers. Thursday night was merely a two-run number. Of course, Albers's family tree is expanding exponentially every time he pitches: In his last dozen appearances dating to Aug. 16, Albers has a 16.87 ERA (20 ER in 10 2/3 innings) and has allowed four runs, with opposing hitters posting a .400-plus batting average and 1.200-plus OPS.

The Sox, meanwhile, came into the game with a .177 average against Rays pitchers Thursday and didn't move the needle Thursday, managing just six singles, two in the ninth, including Jose Iglesias's first major-league hit. Rookie of the year candidate Jeremy Hellickson gave up three hits and a run in 5 2/3 innings for the win.

The Sox now pray that Josh Beckett, who hasn't allowed a run in two starts (17 innings) against the Rays this season, can spin another beauty on a braced right ankle Friday night.