The Rays have won a lot of games with big eighth innings this season, but they came up empty in that frame in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series tonight at Tropicana Field.

Aki Iwamura and B.J. Upton, the first two Rays hitters, reached base on singles that chased Boston starter Daisuke Matsuzake and put runners on first and third with no one out, but they got no further.

Carlos Pena hit a hard line drive that Boston’s J.D. Drew ran down in right field for the first out. Then Evan Longoria, who started the playoffs with such a bang, grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Since hitting home runs in his first two postseason at-bats and finishing that game 3-of-3 with three RBI and three runs scored, the rookie Longoria was gone 1-for-16 in his next four playoff games. He is hitless in his last 10 at-bats.

Matsuzake, who took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, finished with four hits allowed, nine strikeouts, four walks and a wild pitch in seven-plus innings of work.