ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Clay Buchholz had a strong performance in what might have been his final start before returning to the bullpen.Buchholz pitched into the seventh inning, David Ortiz had a run-scoring single and the Boston Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 2-1 on Tuesday night to remain tied atop the AL East.Was never really challenged in terms of a long pitch count inside of one given inning, Boston manager John Farrell said. To get into the seventh inning was an outstanding job on his part.Buchholz (5-9) allowed one run, five hits, two walks and struck out nine in 6 1/3 innings. The right-hander was inserted into the rotation on Aug. 13 after injuries to a couple starting pitchers.Hes playing a huge role for us right now given the situation where some guys have been nicked up, Farrell said.In his last five starts at Tropicana Field, Buchholz has given up two earned runs over 33 1/3 innings.Two injured Boston starters, Steven Wright and Eduardo Rodriguez, could return shortly.Just tried to make the most of it, Buchholz said.Ortiz extended his hitting streak to 10 games with an RBI single in the third. Ortiz scored to make it 2-0 when right fielder Steven Souza Jr. made an errant throw attempting to get Ortiz at third base after fielding Mookie Betts single.Obviously in hindsight I would rather not have thrown it, but I knew David Ortiz was running, Souza said. But it was a bad throw and it cost us a run.Boston is tied with Toronto, which beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-2.Chris Archer (7-17) gave up two runs, five hits and threw 109 pitches in five innings for the Rays. The last 20-game loser in the majors was Detroits Mike Maroth (21) in 2003.Archer won his first career start against the Red Sox on Sept. 19, 2012 but has dropped 10 straight decisions to them since.The Rays got an RBI double from Kevin Kiermaier in the fifth.The speedy Kiermaier was thrown out trying for a triple in the eighth by Betts from right field.Accuracy, Ive been pretty good Betts said. But hard (throws) was something I didnt know I could do. I think we were all kind of surprised there.Craig Kimbrel got the final three outs for his 23rd save.TRAINERS ROOMRed Sox: Farrell said Wright (strained right shoulder) is on tap to start Friday night against Kansas City after an extended bullpen session Tuesday. ... Rodriguez (left hamstring) had a three-inning simulated game. The team will evaluate him Wednesday. ... C Ryan Hanigan (left ankle) hit against Rodriguez. ... RHP Koji Uehara (right pectoral strain) threw 33 pitches in his first mound session and will be evaluated in a week.Rays: SS Tim Beckham left after seven innings due to left hamstring tightness.BIG PAPI POINTSOrtiz moved past Bobby Doerr into sixth place on Bostons career list with 2,043 hits. He has 1,739 RBI, which is one away from tying Rafael Palmeiro for the ninth most in AL history.UP NEXTRed Sox RHP Rick Porcello (17-3), 3-0 with a 2.25 ERA in three starts against Tampa Bay this season, faces Rays RHP Matt Andriese (6-5) on Wednesday night. Gordon Hayward Celtics Jersey .C. -- When North Carolina freshman Ryan Switzer reported to training camp in August he was a little miffed to learn he was third on the depth chart at punt returner. Boston Celtics Jerseys . -- Hunter Smith scored the winner with just 12 seconds remaining in the third period as the Oshawa Generals edged the host Sarnia Sting 5-4 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action. http://www.celticssale.com/kids-paul-pierce-celtics-jersey/ . "Four now," Carl Gunnarsson told the Leaf Report proudly following a 5-2 victory over New York on Tuesday night, the clubs fifth straight at home. Danny Ainge Jersey .ca. Kerry, Just watched the shootout in the Coyotes/Leafs game and I have to ask, why was the James van Riemsdyk goal allowed to count? All of the video replays we were shown on TV were inconclusive about whether the puck had entirely crossed the line or not. Danny Ainge Celtics Jersey . He said Tuesday thats a big reason why he is now the new coach of the Tennessee Titans. Whisenhunt said he hit it off quickly with Ruston Webster when interviewing for the job Friday night. Medical officials went on the field Thursday night to check Cam Newton after a helmet-to-helmet hit and determined he showed no signs of a concussion, an NFL source confirmed to ESPN.NFL Network reported Friday night that medical officials went to the field while play was stopped after the hit on Newton late in the fourth quarter in the?Carolina Panthers 21-20 loss to the Denver Broncos.The medical officials looked at the hit, which left the quarterback facedown on the turf and looking shaken, on video, then went to Newton. According to the NFL Network report, the game was stopped for 2:22, and while the offsetting penalties were sorted out, it was determined that Newton showed no signs of a concussion.Newton took at least four helmet-to-helmet hits Thursday night, including the one on Carolinas final series. Only one penalty was called -- on the last hit -- but was negated by an intentional grounding penalty called on Newton.Panthers coach Ron Rivera questioned the non-callls but did not question the officials or doctors for not placing Newton in the concussion protocol.ddddddddddddIm not going to question the doctors. OK? Rivera said. There is a protocol. There is a set of rules that these doctors, these trained professionals have to follow. The understanding is when everything first happened, they followed the protocol.Rivera said the team doctor and unaffiliated neurological consultant agreed that Newton did not show symptoms of a concussion to the point they felt he needed to leave the game. Neither did the officials on the field or the replay booth.Team officials said Newton was asked questions four times after the game -- in the locker room, on the bus ride to the airport, on the plane and back in Charlotte -- to make sure there were no side effects from the hits to the head.Rivera said he passed all of them. ' ' '