ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- The Boston Red Sox took the opener of the American League Championship Series with a tense 2-0 victory over Tampa.

For six innings, Boston's Daisuke Matsuzaka flirted with a no-hitter at Tropicana Field. Carl Crawford's leadoff single in the seventh ended the no-hit bid.

The Japanese hurler struck out nine and walked four in blanking the Rays on four hits in seven-plus innings. The Boston bullpen finished the shutout with Jonathan Papelbon earning the save with a scoreless ninth.

Jed Lowrie snapped a scoreless tie a sacrifice fly in the fifth. Kevin Youkilis drove home another run with a seventh-inning double off left fielder Crawford's glove as the defending World Series champion Red Sox beat baseball's best home team on its own turf in its first-ever ALCS appearance.

Game Two is Saturday night. Scott Kazmir pitches for Tampa Bay against Josh Beckett of the Red Sox in a matchup of 12-game winners.