BOSTON — Trade-deadline pickup Mike Aviles broke a fourth-inning tie with his first homer since joining the Red Sox and Boston beat Tampa Bay 4-3 last night to hold off the charging Rays and extend its lead in the AL wild-card race to four games.

Josh Beckett (13-5) returned from a skipped start for another strong outing against the Rays, who trailed Boston by nine games on Sept. 3 and had a chance to catch them with a sweep in Fenway. It was Boston’s second win in nine games.

*

In Oakland, Calif, newcomer Doug Fister pitched the Tigers to the AL Central title, beating the Athletics 3-1 to secure the club’s first division title in nearly a quarter-century.