TAMPA, Fla. (Interstat) — Jarren Duran hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh inning, Garrett Crochet struck out nine in six innings and the Boston Red Sox eliminated Tampa Bay from postseason contention with an 11-7 win over the Rays on Friday night.

With the win, the Red Sox maintained their slim lead over Cleveland in the race for the American League’s final wild-card spot.

Duran’s 16th home run of the season off reliever Garrett Cleavinger gave the Red Sox a 4-3 lead. He also singled during Boston’s seven-run eighth inning, a chaotic frame that saw the Red Sox capitalize on two errors and a hit batter. Nate Eaton had an RBI single in the eighth, and Ceddanne Rafaela chipped in with an RBI hit as part of his four-hit night.

The victory improved Boston to 84-70, while the Rays fell to 75-79, mathematically ending their playoff hopes.

Crochet earned the win to improve to 17-5, allowing three runs on four hits. Cleavinger took the loss, falling to 1-6 after surrendering Duran’s decisive blast.

The Rays struck first in the bottom of the opening inning when Nick Fortes singled home Yandy Díaz. Boston answered in the second on an RBI single from Nathaniel Lowe that scored Eaton.

Tampa Bay’s Carson Williams launched a solo homer in the bottom of the second to restore the lead, but Boston’s Alex Bregman countered with a solo shot of his own in the top of the third to tie the game at 2-2. Díaz then put the Rays back ahead 3-2 with a solo homer in the bottom of the third, his 25th of the year.

The game remained 3-2 until the seventh, when Duran connected off Cleavinger to score Rafaela and put Boston ahead for good.

The Red Sox then broke the game open in the eighth, sending 12 men to the plate. The inning featured RBI singles from Eaton and Rafaela, a run-scoring fielder’s choice, a bases-loaded walk to Masataka Yoshida and a two-run error on a ball hit by Romy Gonzalez. Nathaniel Lowe was also hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in the final run of the frame.

Tampa Bay made the score respectable with a four-run ninth inning, highlighted by a grand slam from Everson Pereira off Boston reliever Yerry Rodriguez. Pereira’s second homer of the season scored Tristan Gray, Richie Palacios and Bob Seymour.

Justin Slaten eventually entered to record the final out, striking out Josh Lowe with two men on base to end the 3-hour, 1-minute game played in front of 10,046 fans at George Steinbrenner Field.

The teams continue their three-game series on Saturday.