Boston ? Nomar Garciaparra found a unique way to celebrate his 29th birthday: with three home runs.

Garciaparra connected three times giving him a record-tying five home runs in two games and had eight RBIs to lead the Boston Red Sox over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 22-4 Tuesday in a doubleheader opener. The Rays won Game Two, 5-4.

Boston's Nomar Garciaparra smashed three home runs in the first game of a doubleheader versus Tampa Bay. The teams split the twinbill Tuesday at Boston.

“You don’t see days like this coming,” Garciaparra said. “You never say, ‘I feel good. I’m going to hit three.”‘

Garciaparra, 29, became the first major leaguer to have a three home-run game on his birthday, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, baseball’s statistician. Fans serenaded him with a “Happy Birthday” chorus.

“On birthdays, I’m usually pretty low key,” Garciaparra said. “It was just good timing.”

Garciaparra homered off Tanyon Sturtze (1-10) and Brandon Backe in a 10-run third inning, then hit a grand slam in the fourth off Backe. Garciaparra also homered twice Sunday at New York it was 26th time a player has hit five homers in two games.

Despite the big game in the series finale at Yankee Stadium, Garciaparra hit just .222 (10-for-45 ) on the trip.

“He hadn’t been swinging the bat well, and he swung the bat better today, but got the pitches to hit and made good swings,” Tampa Bay manager Hal McRae said.

It was Boston’s highest-scoring game in the regular season at Fenway Park since a 23-3 win over Detroit on June 18, 1953. The Red Sox beat Cleveland 23-7 at home in the 1999 playoffs.

Boston hit seven homers in all, including two by Manny Ramirez, who had five RBIs. The 22 runs were the most ever against the Devil Rays, who began play in 1998.

It was the second three-homer game for Garciaparra, who also did it against Seattle on May 10, 1999. Garciaparra also became the third Red Sox player to homer twice in one inning, the first since Ellis Burks against Cleveland on Aug. 27, 1990.

Bill Regan also accomplished the feat, against Chicago on June 16, 1928.

Ramirez went 3-for-6, Trot Nixon went 4-for-5 with three RBIs and a home run, and Johnny Damon also homered.

The Devil Rays salvaged the day by rallying for five runs in the ninth inning and a 5-4 victory in Game Two. Jared Sandberg hit a three-run homer off Ugueth Urbina (0-6) to cap the comeback. Victor Zambrano (4-4) earned the victory. Esteban Yan finished for his 13th save.

Indians 9, Yankees 3

Cleveland Danys Baez lost his shutout bid in the ninth inning. Baez (8-7) was three outs away from his first career shutout and complete game when the Yankees scored three times.

Jorge Posada was cut on the left ear when struck by Milton Bradley’s backswing in the fifth inning. Posada, who didn’t lose consciousness, was taken to Fairview Hospital for stitches.

In the seventh inning, Bradley, this time batting left-handed, also conked substitute catcher Chris Widger on the helmet with his bat. Widger was uninjured.

Ricky Gutierrez went 4-for-5 with two RBIs and rookie Earl Snyder drove in two runs for the Indians, who chased Andy Pettitte (4-4) after five innings.

Baez limited the AL’s best-hitting team to six hits in eight-plus innings.

White Sox 8, Twins 7

Chicago Frank Thomas hit the longest homer in new Comiskey Park history a shot estimated at 495 feet as the Chicago White Sox ended Minnesota’s six-game winning streak.

Thomas’ two-run drive cleared the left-field bleachers in the fourth inning and was five feet farther than a blast by Oakland’s Eric Chavez in April 2001. New Comiskey Park opened in 1991. Magglio Ordonez and Aaron Rowand also homered for the Sox.

Mariners 4, Rangers 1

Seattle John Olerud hit a tiebreaking, two-run double in the eighth inning.

A key error by 10-time Gold Glove catcher Ivan Rodriguez helped the AL West-leading Mariners score three times in the eighth. With one out, Jeff Cirillo hit a high pop in foul territory. But the ball bounced out of Rodriguez’s mitt and, given another chance, Cirillo singled off Jay Powell (2-2).

Athletics 2, Angels 1

Anaheim, Calif. Barry Zito became the AL’s first 14-game winner, and Miguel Tejada hit a two-run homer and made a diving catch with the bases loaded. Zito (14-3), allowed one run and five hits.

Baltimore, Toronto ppd

Baltimore Tuesday night’s game between the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays was postponed by rain after a delay of nearly an hour.