TAMPA, Fla. (Interstat) — Nick Martinez pitched seven strong innings and Ben Williamson drove in a key run as the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Boston Red Sox 4-3 on Tuesday night at George Steinbrenner Field before 15,503 fans.

The Rays (39-25) improved to 6-1 in their last seven home games against the Red Sox. Boston (27-38) has lost five of its last six and dropped to 0-3 in the season series at Tampa Bay.

The game was scoreless through two innings before Boston struck first in the third. Isiah Kiner-Falefa led off with a double and moved to third on a groundout from Marcelo Mayer. Jarren Duran then singled to center, scoring Kiner-Falefa for a 1-0 Red Sox lead.

Tampa Bay answered emphatically in the fourth. Ryan Vilade doubled to left leading off. After an Austin Slater popout, Cedric Mullins singled to right to score Vilade, cutting the deficit to 1-1. Mullins moved to second on the throw and scored when Williamson doubled down the left-field line, giving the Rays a 2-1 lead. Nick Fortes followed with an RBI double to left, scoring Williamson for a 3-1 advantage.

The Rays added a critical insurance run in the sixth. With one out, Williamson singled and Fortes was hit by a pitch. Richie Palacios then lined a single to center, scoring Williamson to make it 4-1.

Boston mounted a rally in the eighth. Caleb Durbin singled and Kiner-Falefa followed with a single of his own. Mayer then ripped a double to right, scoring both Durbin and Kiner-Falefa to cut the Tampa Bay lead to 4-3. With Mayer on third and one out, the Red Sox failed to bring him home as Kevin Kelly retired Duran on a groundout and Ceddanne Rafaela on a sharp groundout.

Bryan Baker worked a perfect ninth for his 18th save, striking out one and preserving the one-run lead.

Martinez (6-2) allowed three runs on six hits over seven innings with two strikeouts and no walks. He retired the side in order in the second, fifth and seventh innings, scattering the Boston damage across the third and eighth. Baker took over in the eighth and retired all three batters he faced. Kelly pitched a scoreless eighth.

Payton Tolle (3-3) took the loss, allowing four runs on nine hits over six innings with three strikeouts and one walk. He worked out of a first-inning jam after Junior Caminero doubled and Ryan Vilade singled, but Caleb Durbin snared a liner off the bat of Chandler Simpson and doubled Yandy Diaz off third. Tolle settled in until the fourth-inning outburst.

Garrett Whitlock and Tommy Kahnle each pitched a scoreless inning of relief for Boston.

Vilade led all hitters with three singles and a double, finishing 3 for 4. Williamson had two hits, including a double, and an RBI. Fortes went 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI. Palacios added a go-ahead RBI single.

For Boston, Mayer drove in both runs with his eighth-inning double and finished 1 for 3. Kiner-Falefa doubled and singled.

The game featured strong defensive plays. In the first inning, Caminero doubled with one out, and after Simpson lined out to third, Durbin fired to third to double off Diaz, erasing a potential scoring threat. In the eighth, Tampa Bay center fielder Cedric Mullins was called out on strikes but reached first on a passed ball. He was then caught in a rundown on a line drive from Williamson that was caught by Rafaela in center, completing a double play.

Boston opened the scoring in the third when Duran knocked in Kiner-Falefa, but the Red Sox left the bases empty in the fourth and fifth innings. In the seventh, Wilyer Abreu doubled with one out and moved to third on a groundout, but Martinez stranded him.

Martinez allowed a leadoff double in the eighth to Durbin before exiting after 94 pitches. Kelly entered and, after a single by Kiner-Falefa, surrendered the two-run double to Mayer. But Kelly stranded Mayer at third by inducing a groundout and a sharp groundout to end the inning.

The Rays threatened in the bottom of the eighth against Whitlock, getting a single from Fortes, but Palacios grounded out to first to end the inning.

In the ninth, Baker retired Willson Contreras, Masataka Yoshida and Mickey Gasper in order, all on groundouts or short popups, to seal the win.

The series continues Wednesday with the finale of the two-game set. Boston returns home Friday to host Texas, while Tampa Bay travels to Los Angeles to face the Angels.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Boston 4, Tampa Bay 3, while its ELO system gave Tampa Bay a 52.90 percent probability to win. The Rays were installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5, and the total of 7 runs went over the over-under line of 7.5.