Miley fans 8, takes loss despite quality start

ST. PETERSBURG -- If Wade Miley could have one pitch back, it would be the one that ultimately cost him his seventh loss Saturday in the Red Sox 4-1 defeat to the Rays.

The left-hander was not as untouchable as opposing starter Matt Andriese was, but nonetheless, he went toe-to-toe with him as both opened up the ballgame with four scoreless innings.

In the fifth, though, Miley's mistake reared its head. After allowing Asdrubal Cabrera to reach on a leadoff triple, he got David DeJesus to ground out to first and followed that up by getting ahead 1-2 to Jake Elmore. Miley uncorked a a hanging slider, and Elmore hooked it over the five-foot wall in left field and into 162 Landing to give the Rays a 2-0 lead.

Video: BOS@TB: Elmore goes yard to give Rays 2-0 lead

"I think we did a good job early and really the whole time," Miley said. "Me and [catcher] Sandy [Leon] did a good job of mixing up the pitch selection and we were able to execute. It was really just that one slider. I was trying to bounce it, and I just left it up and [Elmore] did a good job."

The home run -- one of three the Rays hit -- proved to be the only runs Miley allowed in his 6 1/3 innings of work.

The performance, which also included eight strikeouts to tie a season high, marked his third consecutive quality start and the seventh time in his last nine outings that he has allowed two earned runs or fewer in six-plus innings.

"I'm just trying to go out and give us a chance to win," Miley said. "I'm not doing anything different. Just going out there and competing when it is my turn to pitch and that is it."