ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Tampa Bay Rays catcher Wilson Ramos had never faced Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale before Thursday night, but his pregame video scouting paid off in a big way. Ramos had an RBI double and a two-run home run, powering Tampa Bay to a surprising 4-1 win over Sale and the Red Sox at Tropicana Field.

"This series, for me, is very important," said Ramos, who missed the first 76 games of the season recovering from a torn ACL. "I talked to my guys, my teammates. We're behind that team, so this series we have to play hard. We have to win this if we want to be in first place in this division."

The Rays (45-42) got a big win to open their final series before the All-Star break, pulling to 4 1/2 games behind Boston (49-37) in the American League East. Boston dropped its second straight after a six-game winning streak ended Wednesday against the Texas Rangers.

Sale (11-4) lost for only the second time in his past nine starts. He yielded four runs on seven hits and no walks, and he struck out 12 to extend his major league-leading total to 178. Sale had limited opponents to three runs or fewer in each of his previous six outings.

"Ramos is the one guy in that lineup that came back to haunt him a little bit," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "We just couldn't string the hits together tonight, even when we started a number of innings with the leadoff man getting on."

Faria (4-0) made his sixth consecutive quality start to begin his major league career, holding the Red Sox to one run on four hits in six innings. He walked four and struck out two.

The Rays bullpen, which gave up seven runs Wednesday, turning a 3-0 sixth-inning lead into a 7-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs, stepped up with three scoreless innings Thursday.

Brad Boxberger pitched a 1-2-3 seventh, Tommy Hunter a scoreless eighth and closer Alex Colome the ninth for his 23rd save. Colome had given up runs in his previous five appearances, ballooning his ERA from 1.95 to 4.10, but he worked around one hit to close out the win.

In the sixth, the Rays' Evan Longoria pulled a ground ball just past third baseman Deven Marrero's glove, then scored on Ramos' two-run home run for a 4-1 lead.

"It's not so much the single runs, it's that sixth inning. That home run really just sucks the energy right out of us," Sale said. "It's easier to fight down one than down three. I put my guys in a bad spot."

The Rays took a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning as Peter Bourjos hit a solo home run down the left field line off Sale.

Sale had eight strikeouts in his first 10 outs, dominating the Rays lineup and taking a shutout into the fourth inning.

Logan Morrison singled and scored on a double by Ramos to tie the game in the fourth.

"I'm feeling a lot better at the plate, getting my timing back with my swing," Ramos said. "I feel so happy to be able to be aggressive and move behind the plate, to get more confidence to go out and do my job."

Boston took a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Tzu-Wei Lin walked, took third on a single by Dustin Pedroia and scored on a sacrifice fly by Marrero.

Marrero was in the game because Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts left in the first inning after being hit by a pitch on the right hand. Bogaerts stayed in the game as a runner but was replaced in the bottom of the first.

The team announced the injury was a contusion and that X-rays were negative. Bogaerts is listed as day-to-day.

NOTES: Tampa Bay 1B Logan Morrison and Boston SS Xander Bogaerts were both among the five AL candidates in the "Final Vote" contest for the All-Star game, but both lost out to Royals 3B Mike Moustakas. Bogaerts finished second in the voting, while Morrison took last among the five options. ... Rays 2B Tim Beckham was a late scratch due to an ankle injury, with Taylor Featherston replacing him at second and batting sixth in the batting order. 2B Brad Miller was pulled from the lineup in a rehab appearance at Triple-A Durham, so it is possible Miller could return Friday if Beckham is headed to the disabled list. ... The Red Sox activated LHP Brian Johnson (left shoulder) off the disabled list before the game and optioned him to Triple-A Pawtucket.