updated 11:02 p.m. ET Aug. 13, 2007

BOSTON - Tim Wakefield flirted with a no-hitter and wound up giving the Boston Red Sox what they really needed: A victory — any victory — to stop their slide in the AL East.

The Red Sox knuckleballer held Tampa Bay hitless into the seventh inning, and Julio Lugo helped out with three hits on Monday night to lead Boston to a 3-0 victory over the Devil Rays. With the Yankees beating the Baltimore Orioles 7-6, New York remained four games behind Boston in the division.

“I think it was very important for us to get back at home and get some momentum going our way,” said Wakefield, who has eight starts left to top his career high of 17 wins. “I’m just grateful that it’s happening.”

The Red Sox had lost four of their previous six games while watching New York cut into their lead in the division from a high of 12 games. With new bullpen acquisition Eric Gagne struggling and the Red Sox plummeting, they needed a good outing from their starter — and a long one, too.

Wakefield (14-10) gave them both.

“This guy has been a blessing for us,” Boston manager Terry Francona said. “I think it goes under the radar some times because of the way he pitches. I hope it doesn’t. It’s a phenomenal outing, and he’s been phenomenal. And he’s not done.”

Wakefield allowed two hits in eight innings, striking out six and walking two to improve to 18-2 lifetime against the Devil Rays. The only batter to reach second or third base against him was Carl Crawford, who spoiled the no-hit bid when he led off the seventh with a hard grounder between the first and second basemen.

The crowd consoled Wakefield with a big cheer, and then it gave him another nice hand when he struck out Delmon Young with Crawford at third to preserve the shutout. Jonny Gomes singled off the Green Monster in the eighth for the other hit.

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It’s the sixth time in Wakefield’s career that he has taken a no-hit bid into the seventh inning. Three of them were broken up in the seventh, two in the eighth and on June 19, 2001, he went into the ninth before Tampa Bay’s Randy Winn singled with nobody out.

“He was not only throwing it for strikes, but spots you can’t hit it,” Crawford said. “His ball was dropping like 2-3 feet. It was tough to hit.”

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