"It's OK to exhale now. Isn't it?

With Josh Beckett back on the mound for the first time since he sprained his right ankle Sept. 5 in Toronto, the Red Sox were given a reprieve from a September swoon that saw their once-robust lead in the American League wild-card race dwindle to three games.

Set against a playoff-type atmosphere before a Fenway Park crowd of 38,019, this series against the Rays took a turn in Boston's favor last night when Beckett overcame a shaky start and delivered a dominant performance that led the Red Sox to a 4-3 victory.

"Beckett was huge, unbelievable,'' said Mike Aviles, who delivered the decisive blow with his solo home run off James Shields in the fourth. "He did exactly what a staff ace does. He battled, kept us in the ballgame, and gave us a chance to win.''

Beckett (13-5, 2.50 ERA) helped the Sox expand their wild-card lead to four games over the Rays with 12 games remaining."