BOSTON -- When their game against Boston was postponed Wednesday due to inclement weather, the Tampa Bay Rays made it clear they had no interest in playing a doubleheader Thursday. The Red Sox got their way. The Rays got the last laugh. Yunel Escobar homered off Boston closer Koji Uehara leading off the ninth inning to propel Tampa Bay to a 6-5 win and a day-night doubleheader sweep on Thursday night. The Rays won the opener 2-1. "I really believe that we had vociferously fought for just one game, for a lot of obvious reasons," said Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon. "I mean, Im not going to hide from the reasons -- we have a lot of guys injured, we had a lot of very difficult games more recently, so we wanted one game and pick it up later when were at greater health. "It just did not work out that way, thus our players came out and made a statement today and I kind of enjoyed it." Escobar crushed the second pitch from Uehara (0-1) over the Green Monster in left field for his second homer of the year, and Grant Balfour recorded the final three outs for his second save of the day and sixth of the season. "Hes a very good relief pitcher and it was a very uncomfortable at-bat," Escobar said through a translator. "(I) got a splitter up and (I) just tried to get good wood on the ball and (I) was able to hit it out." Sean Rodriguez and Desmond Jennings also went deep for last-place Tampa Bay, which won for just the third time in nine games. "I didnt know we didnt want to play. No one asked me," Balfour said with a laugh. "Im pretty happy that we did." So is Maddon. "Im so proud of our guys, the way they handled the entire moment," he said. "Nobody complained about anything. Nothing -- and they just went out and played really good baseball for 18 innings. It was pretty astounding to watch the whole thing play out." The first game was just as wild, but for an entirely different reason. With Tampa Bay leading 2-1 in the seventh, Dustin Pedroia was called out on a close play at the plate, thrown out on a relay from Escobar at shortstop while attempting to score from first on Ortizs double high off the Monster. After a 1 minute, 52 second delay, it was announced the call "stands." Boston third base coach Brian Butterfield was ejected by first base umpire Toby Basner for slamming his helmet to the ground. "I just dont like the whole inconclusive deal," said Pedroia, who didnt think he was tagged before crossing the plate. "Replay, you should go check it out and youre either out or safe. I dont know what inconclusive means. Maybe that means someone doesnt want to make a decision." Pedroia may have beaten catcher Jose Molinas sweeping tag with a feet-first slide, but it was unclear if he touched the plate before the tag. Basner, rotating as the umpires moved on the play, made the call at the plate. "I thought not only did Dustin beat the throw, beat the tag, but felt like his left foot made some contact with home plate," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "Our video internally showed that that was the case." The Rays then charged back from a 5-2 deficit in the nightcap. Rodriguezs two-run homer off Boston starter Felix Doubront in the sixth brought Tampa Bay within one, and Rodriguez tied it in the seventh off reliever Junichi Tazawa, doubling and scoring on James Loneys single. Uehara then uncharacteristically surrendered Escobars blast, just the fourth homer he has allowed at Fenway Park since joining Boston before last season. "It happens every year, April, May," Uehara said through a translator. "I think even last year I didnt pitch that well." NOTES: It was the first doubleheader for both teams since last year when the Red Sox swept the Rays in Fenway Park on June 18. ... The Rays open a three-game series against the New York Yankees on Friday. Tampa Bay LHP David Price (3-2, 4.75) will oppose New York LHP Vidal Nuno (0-0, 6.59). . Boston will host the Oakland Athletics for a three-game series beginning Friday, with Red Sox RHP Clay Buchholz (1-2, 6.66) facing Athletics RHP Dan Straily (1-1, 5.14). Athletics Jerseys 2019 . The whole deflation of New England Patriots footballs is like a murder mystery without the violence or significance. On one side, this is a ridiculous issue. Chris Bassitt Athletics Jersey . New York Red Bulls. TSN primes Vancouver fans for the start of the 2014 season with MLS on TSN: Season Preview Special airing tonight at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt on TSN2 (encore Friday at 3:30pm et/12:30pm pt on TSN2). https://www.cheapathleticsonline.com/ . Philippe Desrosiers stopped 42 shots through overtime and three more in the shootout to pick up his third shutout of the season for Rimouski (31-15-7). Zachary Fucale made 28 saves for Halifax (34-17-3) in the loss. Oakland Athletics Pro Shop .com) - Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh called Joe Flacco the NFLs best quarterback last week. Athletics Jerseys China . With just under five seconds remaining - the Raptors having clawed back from a 19-point deficit and pulled within one - DeRozan took the handoff from Chuck Hayes.PARIS -- Canadian Eugenie Bouchard advanced to the third round of the French Open on Wednesday after a come-from-behind win over German Julia Goerges. Bouchard dropped the first set but then rallied for a 2-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory. "I wasnt worried after the first, I just took my time," said Bouchard. "I just really tried to forget about that I lost the first set and just start fresh. Thats what I did for the second and third." The 18th seed from Westmount, Que., will play Swede Johanna Larsson, who upset 12th-seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta 5-7, 6-4, 6-2. "For sure it definitely wasnt one of my best days, but Im proud that I was able to turn it around,"said Bouchard. "It was definitely more of a mental win today to get my game back in the right place." Bouchard said she stayed mentally strong. "I have confidence that no matter what happens on the court, I can fight and still give my best and give myself the best chance to win," said Bouchard. Bouchard broke the 107th-ranked Goerges to end the match, taking thee victory with 21 winners and conversions on six of 13 break points.dddddddddddd Bouchard broke twice in the second set and began the third with another break of the German as she raced to a 5-0 lead. But she lost serve in the next game after a forehand error. She immediately recovered a game later, breaking Goerges back and advancing on her first match point. "In the first set I felt I wasnt in the right mental frame of mind, and it just wasnt good enough for my standards," Bouchard. "I just needed to regroup after that, and I really focused and got back to playing the way I need to play, which is stepping in, going for my shots." Bouchard, a semifinalist at the Australian Open, arrived in Paris after her first WTA title last week in Germany. She was eliminated in the second round at Roland Garros last year, her French Open debut. In doubles play, Canadas Sharon Fichman and her partner Anastassia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia upended ninth-seeded Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic, 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-1. ' ' '