ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - As if Red Sox fans needed more evidence they may be witnessing something special this season, Grady Little's Gang last night delivered another dose of exhilaration.

Trailing, 2-1, with two out in the ninth, the Sox stunned the Devil Rays and their newly minted closer, Jesus Colome, by storming back for a 3-2 victory before 12,583 at Tropicana Field in a resounding start to their 10-game road trip.

A throwing error by catcher Toby Hall, who had Jason Varitek trapped off first base but threw the ball into right field for an error, allowed Brian Daubach to score the winning run from second after Varitek's two-out single had tied the score.

In the end, it was a victory driven more by Daubach and Lou Merloni than everyday stars Johnny Damon, Nomar Garciaparra, and Manny Ramirez.

''Tonight, we didn't have the big guys like Manny,'' said Carlos Baerga, who was batting when Hall committed the pivotal error. ''Nights like this, the little guys have to do it.''

Merloni, who just rejoined the team after another demotion to Pawtucket, scored from second on Varitek's single to left, sliding across the plate just ahead of a strong throw by left fielder Jason Tyner. A momentary bobble by Tyner gave Merloni the split second he needed to beat Hall's sweep tag. Merloni was running for Ramirez, whose one-out walk started the winning rally.

''When you don't start, you don't necessarily want to get in the game because it means we're losing or tied or something like that,'' Merloni said. ''But to be able to get in there and play a little bit of a role, little things like that kind of excite me maybe more than the other guy.''

With Little using two pinch hitters and Merloni as a runner, the Sox ended the game with an outfield alignment in which Damon was flanked by Merloni in left and Daubach in right. It was Merloni's big league debut in the outfield, but he wasn't tested, as closer Ugueth Urbina worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his ninth save.

The Sox have now won 12 of 16, and 10 of 12 on the road, to open a 21/2-game lead on the Yankees, their biggest advantage of the season. The Devil Rays, meanwhile, have lost eight in a row. Three of those losses have come in games in which they've led in the ninth inning.

Still reeling from blowing a 6-0 lead in Minnesota Thursday, the Devil Rays found another way to lose when Colome's 1-and-0 pitch to Baerga squirted out of Hall's glove. Varitek, who was criticized Monday when he failed to advance on a wild pitch and was doubled up to end a 5-3 loss to the Orioles, broke for second and was caught in no-man's land.

''I just can't seem to get that play right,'' he said.

But it worked, thanks to Hall.

''You always look for the lead runner, but the other guy was in la-la land,'' Hall said of Varitek. ''I was trying to make the big play, and I didn't.''

Hall's throw shot the gap between the runner and the bag, allowing Daubach to race home.

''It was just a lucky break,'' Daubach said. ''When things are going good, sometimes you get some breaks your way.''

Colome was manager Hal McRae's choice to replace Esteban Yan as the Rays' closer. He threw six straight fastballs to Ramirez, three clocked at 99 miles per hour, but his penchant for wildness (11 walks in 14 innings) cost him dearly when he missed inside on a 3-and-2 pitch to Ramirez.

Daubach bounced a single over the mound, with Merloni electing to play it conservatively and stopping at second. Shea Hillenbrand, who had a tough night (two whiffs and a double-play grounder) lined to short for the second out, and Merloni dived back before Chris Gomez could double him off.

''That was outstanding baserunning,'' Little said. ''There are a whole lot of baserunners who get doubled up on that ball because it's in their head so much that they want to score on a base hit. They tend to cheat to try to get a good jump.''

That brought up Varitek, who lined a hit to left.

The win went to lefthanded reliever Casey Fossum, who struck out Ben Grieve with a runner on second to end his one inning of work, the eighth. John Burkett gave up a two-run home run to Steve Cox in the first but shut out the Rays on five hits over the next six innings.

''I got in trouble a lot but I kept telling myself, `Keep it at this score, keep battling,''' Burkett said. ''I knew there would be some pressure points during the game and we would come back at some point.''

Rookie Delvin James held the heart of the Sox' order hitless before he turned over a 2-1 lead to lefthander Doug Creek to start the eighth. James helped kill Garciaparra's 15-game hitting streak and silenced the rampaging Ramirez. And he helped to lengthen Hillenbrand's mini-slump to 1 for 14.

But it was the Sox who were rushing to congratulate each other after the latest sign that they may be in the midst of something special.

By Bob Hohler and Gordon Edes of The Boston Globe Staff

This story ran on page G1 of the Boston Globe on 5/4/2002.

Copyright 2002 Globe Newspaper Company.