ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- At the outset, it looked like a toss-up on who could work any slower: the little girl who sang the anthem at the Trop or Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett. At least the kid could hit the high notes.

One inning into his outing, Beckett had given up a three-spot on four singles and a hit batsman, all done at a rate ensured of raising Bud Selig’s blood pressure. This, after Beckett gave up five first-inning runs to the Yankees in his last outing before the All-Star break.

But Beckett eventually found a more tolerable rhythm, and much better results, holding the Rays scoreless on four hits over the next five innings. The Red Sox offense, meanwhile, picked up the pace, a two-run home run by Mike Aviles, a solo home run by Daniel Nava, and a two-run single by Will Middlebrooks making fast work of James Shields.

The Sox took the rubber game of this three-game set, 7-3, and return home to face the White Sox on Monday night trailing the Yankees by 9½ games in the AL East but thinking that the weak-hitting Rays -- missing Evan Longoria indefinitely -- have more problems than they do.

Reasons for the Sox optimism:

-- Six hits in the series for Jacoby Ellsbury, including a double and two singles Sunday

-- A walk and two singles for David Ortiz, his ninth straight game with at least one walk and a hit. The last Sox player to do that was Ted Williams in 1950.

-- A return to the lineup for Adrian Gonzalez, who recovered from the back spasms brought on when he greeted a toddler in a stroller and had two hits, including an RBI single.

-- Three hits for Will Middlebrooks, who homered on Saturday and will spend the next four days being endlessly compared to Kevin Youkilis, who returns to town Monday.

-- Four scoreless innings by the Sox bullpen, although Alfredo Aceves added a little extra drama by walking the bases loaded in the ninth. Hideki Matsui then launched a drive that off the bat looked like it might carry for a game-tying grand slam, but Cody Ross gathered it in on the warning track.