BOSTON - Playing the Red Sox, and on national TV, these Rays can't avoid being compared to last year's team. But the way Sunday night's 4-3 loss turned out showed why they are not worthy of comparison.

First, some shaky defense that led to two Boston runs. Then some ineffective relief work in the eighth to put the Sox ahead. And finally the inability to get a clutch hit, as they had two on in the ninth - including the tying run on third - against Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon and failed to score as pinch-hitter Carlos Pe?a, B.J. Upton and Carl Crawford all struck out.

The Sox beat the Rays bullpen in the eighth. First was a left-on-left double by David Ortiz off Brian Shouse. Dan Wheeler came on, first threw a wild pitch that allowed Ortiz to go to third then grooved a pitch that Jason Bay knocked off the wall to score the run.

A walk by Akinori Iwamura, an errant pickoff throw and a single by Jason Bartlett gave the Rays a chance in the ninth, but they wasted it.

The game ended a stretch of nine games in 11 days against the Red Sox and Yankees during which the Rays went 6-3.

Matt Garza gave the Rays another strong start, but some uncharacteristically shaky defense cost him two runs, and he left with the score 3-3 after seven. Garza had allowed just one run in beating the Sox in his first two tries this season. Sunday, he gave up three, along with seven hits and two walks, while striking out six, throwing 116 pitches. He was more impressive, though equally as effective, as Boston counterpart Josh Beckett, who allowed three runs over six innings while throwing 118 pitches.