Devil Rays’ Kazmir stymies the Red Sox

BOSTON -- Left-hander Scott Kazmir was so sharp that even Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz might have had trouble hitting him.

With Boston’s two sluggers out of the lineup in the same game for the first time this season, Tampa Bay’s ace struck out 10 and scattered five singles in seven innings in a 1-0 victory over the Red Sox on Monday night.

“They threw a different lineup out there, took away a lot of the lefties,” said Kazmir (12-8), who let only two runners reach second base.

Ramirez is batting .154 against Kazmir (six for 39) and Ortiz is hitting .147 (five for 34). Ramirez, who bats right-handed, sat out his 13th consecutive game because of a strained muscle in his left side. Ortiz, a left-handed batter, has a sore right knee and didn’t start but grounded out as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning against Al Reyes.

The last time the Red Sox had lost 1-0 at home was Sept. 2, 2001, when the New York Yankees’ Mike Mussina lost a perfect game with two out in the ninth.