April 24, 2005 ... The Sox fought their way to an 11-3 win to claim one game of the three-game series, but, more important, they salvaged their pride before their return to Boston last night. On a day when payback and brushbacks and two bench-clearing events were the show at Tropicana Field, the Red Sox, losers of two straight one-run games and the target of errant and/or purpose pitches, decided they had endured enough from the young, small-market Devil Rays.

If the combustible day needed an exclamation point, Jay Payton, who replaced the ejected Trot Nixon, provided one with a grand slam in the eighth inning off Rob Bell. One out later, David Ortiz hit another mammoth shot, off the "C" ring catwalk.

Terry Francona was ejected along with Nixon and Bronson Arroyo in the bench-clearing incidents in the seventh inning. The Devil Rays lost manager Lou Piniella, pitcher Dewon Brazelton (who did not pitch yesterday but tangled with Nixon), and Lance Carter. The fireworks began when Carter threw high and behind Ramirez with one out in the seventh. That was apparently in retaliation for Arroyo hitting Aubrey Huff with a pitch in the sixth with two outs. After a warning was issued to both benches, Ramirez answered with a home run to left field.

Carter then threw behind Ortiz's head on a 1-and-2 pitch. When Ortiz tried to rush the mound (he was restrained) and the teams ran onto the field, Nixon and Brazelton got into it verbally, and in the ensuing scuffle Nixon claimed Brazelton poked him in the eye. After a nine-minute delay, the players returned to their places and the inning continued. In the bottom of the seventh, Arroyo wasted little time throwing at leadoff hitter Chris Singleton's legs, again prompting the dugouts and bullpens to empty. There were more angry words, with Curt Schilling appearing to call out someone on the Tampa Bay side.

Francona, already in trouble with Major League Baseball disciplinarian Bob Watson for his criticism of umpire Greg Gibson in an April 14 game against the Yankees, was a little perturbed by Kazmir hitting Ramirez and Millar Friday night after Kazmir had been ejected for hitting both players back-to-back in a game last September. Piniella also felt Arroyo was purposely trying to hit Huff. Millar suffered quite a bruise and welt on his right shin, and had been hit by a pitch in the eighth inning Saturday night. Schilling also plunked Carl Crawford in that game.

Amid the sideshow, there was some baseball.

Johnny Damon knocked in two runs with four hits and was on base five times; Ramirez knocked in two runs, adding a sacrifice fly in the first inning to his solo homer. The Sox put together their first multirun first inning of the season, off Devil Rays starter Hideo Nomo, with Millar's single driving in the second run. The Sox scored their third run on Damon's double in the second inning after Edgar Renteria singled and stole second.

Arroyo, who led the majors with 20 hit batters last season, pitched well and went unbeaten for the 13th straight start. He pitched six innings and allowed seven hits and three earned runs. He probably would have pitched longer had it not been his "duty" to plunk Singleton.