Rays edge closer by beating Red Sox

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Baseball’s feel-good story of the year is on the verge of getting even better.

The AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays beat the Boston Red Sox, 10-3, Wednesday, moving closer to their first playoff berth with another “star-less” effort that’s become their signature.

“I wouldn’t expect too much else from this team,” rookie Fernando Perez said after he, Willy Aybar and Gabe Gross homered off Tim Wakefield to pace the rout in front of a sellout crowd of 36,048 at Tropicana Field.

“The way this team is put together, it isn’t put together like the Yankees. It isn’t a hoard of superstars that are expected to do well,” Perez said. “This team is built on solid pitching and unity. Nobody sticks out. To see us win a game, everybody comes in and does something. We don’t have the personalities that stand in the way of that.”

Matt Garza gave up two long homers to David Ortiz, but the Rays otherwise held the Red Sox in check to win the season series against the defending World Series champions, 10-8, and extend their division lead over them to two games.