Tampa Bay Devil Rays Team Report - April 16th

(Sports Network) - The Devils Rays dropped the first of a three-game set at Fenway park by a score of 6-5 yesterday.

Travis Harper allowed the game-winning hit, but Al Levine pitched to the first three batters in the inning and was charged with the loss. Levine (1-1) yielded the one run in 1 1/3 innings of relief.

Tampa Bay rookie Rocco Baldelli went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored to continue the hot start to his major-league career. Baldelli has hit safely in each of his first 12 games to set a Tampa Bay rookie record.

Baldelli's hitting streak is the longest by a rookie since Juan Pierre hit safely in 16 straight as a member of the Colorado Rockies. Ryan McGuire also had a 12-game run with the Montreal Expos in 1997.

He has also gone 58 plate appearances this season without a walk, which is the most in the majors, since teammate Carl Crawford went 92 at-bats to begin his career last season.

Ben Grieve added two hits for the Devil Rays, who had a two-game winning streak halted.

Steve Parris will head to the hill today for Tampa and is still searching for his first win of the season. The 35-year-old righthander, who has not had an injury-free season since 2000, is 0-1 on the year with a 4.50 ERA.

In his last appearance on Thursday against the Baltimore Orioles, he allowed three runs on three hits over seven innings, but did not factor in the decision. Unfortunately for him one of the three hits he allowed was a three- run homer to Jay Gibbons. He retired 11 of his final 12 batters following the homer.

Parris has never beaten the Red Sox in six career starts, posting an 0-2 mark with a 4.46 ERA. Last year he faced Boston one time and dropped a 4-0 decision in Fenway, where he is winless in three starts for his career.

04/16 11:28:12 ET