BOSTON — Jalen Beeks called it a complicated question.

Then he gave a convoluted answer.

Just what, he was asked after leading the Rays to a 2-0 win Sunday over the Red Sox, did it mean to come back to Fenway Park for the first time and beat the team that had traded him?

He said it "felt good" to pitch well and win, especially since his two outings for the Red Sox at home before the July 25 deal weren't good. He said he hadn't been any more anxious or nervous than before any other outing. He wasn't consciously trying to throw harder, even though his velocity had ticked up.

He was grateful for the four-plus years of development in the Sox system but really liked being with the Rays and part of what they're building.

In one sentence, Beeks said: "I mean, it wasn't like any other game.''

But in the next, "I didn't approach it differently. I didn't necessarily want it more.''

Bottom line?

"It was satisfying,'' he said. "I didn't pitch well here the last two times, so it was really good to pitch well in Fenway.''

The Rays are hoping Beeks, 25, does that often over the next several years after prying him from the Sox for the two-month-plus postseason rental of Nathan Eovaldi.

Sunday proved impressively illustrative of what the left-hander can do, mixing pitches to work four strong innings in teaming with four other Rays on the two-hit shutout of the majors' most potent team.

Beeks allowed just a single to former Arkansas college teammate Andrew Benintendi to open the fourth, then after a walk, he faced and escaped his biggest jam, getting Boston basher J.D. Martinez to ground into a double play.

"He battled,'' Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "Getting the double play ball was huge for us. Kind of a momentum shift a little bit. There's not a ton of margin of error in this ballpark against this team. We had to play a pretty perfect game, and he set that tone.

"The mix, the fastball came out really good, 93-94 (mph). We saw some 94s we hadn't seen out of him, so he was probably a little amped pitching against his former team. But he composed himself enough to throw strikes and get big outs.''

The Sox saw it pretty much the same way.

"He was throwing harder,'' Boston manager Alex Cora said. "I saw 94, and I didn't see that here. But besides that, the same — cutter, fastball, breaking ball. He had a better mix with the breaking ball. He did a good job.''

"He looked good to me,'' Benintendi said. "He uses that cutter in any count and runs his fastball up there pretty well. I know he's pitched well lately. I've always thought that once he finds his groove, he'll pitch pretty well. I think he's going to be good."

Even Eovaldi, who is greatly enjoying his rise of 25 games in the standings and a legitimate shot at a World Series ring, is glad to see Beeks do well. "That's another thing I was pleased with — I wanted the Rays to have something good in return for me,'' he said. "And I think he's proven he's going to be a key part of their future and their success for a long time to come.''

Since the brutally bad Baltimore debut that had some Rays people wondering what they had, Beeks has continued to improve, posting a 2.37 ERA over his past four outings, incorporating some mechanical and philosophical adjustments, specifically working ahead in the count. Also, getting increasingly confident and comfortable in taking to heart the Rays' advice to relax knowing he was part of their future.

"A lot of credit to him to keep his poise and not hang his head,'' Cash said. "He continues to get better and show improvement every single time he goes out.''

There was credit to be shared Sunday as the Rays wrapped a 5-4 trip to Toronto, New York and Boston, improving to 63-61 overall.

Diego Castillo looked good, and certainly better than he had, in his first try as the opener, working 1⅔. After Beeks did his thing to get Tampa Bay into the sixth, Cash used the bullpen deftly, with Chaz Roe getting four outs in the middle of the potent order, Jose Alvarado handling the eighth and Sergio Romo finishing for his 100th career save. It was only the fifth time the 88-37 Sox had been shut out this season, only the second at home.

"The way their batting order was (set up) and how efficient we were getting them out did allow us to line things up pretty perfectly,'' Cash said.

Shortstop Joey Wendle put the Rays ahead with a second-inning homer, then made a slick glove flip to start that pivotal double play against Martinez. C.J. Cron added an insurance homer in the ninth.

But, really, the story line was clear.

"Jalen Beeks, what an outing,'' Wendle said. "For him to have two pretty forgettable outings here as a member of that team and then to come back against that team in their park and throw four shutty (shutout innings) is pretty impressive. I'm really happy for him.''

Contact Marc Topkin at mtopkin@tampabay.com. Follow @TBTimes_Rays.