ST. PETERSBURG—Dustin Pedroia scored on a wild pitch by Dan Wheeler in the top of the eighth inning, giving the Red Sox an 8-8 tie with the Rays tonight in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series at Tropicana Field.

Pedroia singled off Chad Bradford to open the eighth, moved to second on a walk by David Ortiz from reliever Trever Miller and took third when Wheeler came on and got Kevin Youkilis to ground into a 6-4-3 double play.

Wheeler then uncorked the wild pitch, throwing high and over the outstretched glove of Dioner Navarro. Navarro went back to get the ball and tried an awkward, underhand toss to Wheeler that was on the first base side of the plate and too late to get the sliding Perdroia.

It was the fourth run of the game for Pedroia, who at that point was 3-for-4 with two home runs, a walk and two RBI. Pedroia, an AL MVP candidate after hitting .326 with 54 doubles during the regular season, entered the game batting .100 in the postseason with just two hits in 20 playoff at-bats.

The Rays went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the eighth off Boston reliever Hideki Okajima, who retired all six batters he faced in two scoreless innings of work.