BOSTON -- Sometimes it doesn't matter how good you pitch. It really doesn't.

Left-hander David Huff turned in his third straight solid start Tuesday night, but was still optioned to Class AAA Columbus to make room for right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez, who joins the team today. Huff was a bit perplexed by the move, but in returning to Columbus he'll do so with the knowledge that he did his job and that he's a different pitcher than the one who fell from grace last season.

Huff pitched five strong innings and left with a 2-1 lead against Boston. The Indians lost the lead and the game, 3-2, on Jacoby Ellsbury's RBI single with one out in the ninth inning.

Jason Varitek started the rally with a single against Vinnie Pestano (1-1). Josh Reddick followed with a bloop single to right field as pinch-runner Jarrod Saltalamacchia stopped at second. Ellsbury lined a clean single through the middle to win it.

"David Huff pitched a tremendous ball game," said manager Manny Acta. "He had to warm up twice because of the rain situation. He really made some good pitches, especially in the second when we didn't play good defense behind him.

"We made him throw a ton of extra pitches, but he buckled down and made some great pitches. I can't say enough about him."

After the game, however, Acta told Huff he was going down.

"It's a tough call, but we're not planning on having a six-man rotation right now," said Acta. "I'm anticipating that we'll be seeing him again. By the way he threw the ball, he deserves to pitch for us.

"But right now we have five starters and have to add Ubaldo."

The Indians acquired Jimenez in a five-player trade from Colorado on Saturday night.

"I was sort of surprised, but I can't persuade them otherwise," said Huff. "I'm just going to go back down and work on what I've been working on. Hopefully, when they need me I'll be ready again."

Huff allowed one earned run on three hits in five innings against Boston. He struck out six and walked two on 102 pitches. In three starts since being promoted from Columbus, Huff has allowed one earned run in 17.2 innings with 15 strikeouts and two walks.

Huff revamped his delivery at Columbus with the help of pitching coach Ruben Niebla.

"He's quicker and more aggressive to the plate," said Acta. "All his pitches are sharper and crisper. All he has to do is continue to work on that delivery."

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Kevin Youkilis pulled the Red Sox into 2-2 tie with a leadoff homer off Rafael Perez in the sixth. Youkilis hit a 2-1 pitch over The Green Monster. Perez started the sixth in relief of Huff because lefties David Ortiz and Carl Crawford were batting second and third in the inning. Perez retired the two lefties, but he couldn't get past the right-handed Youkilis to start the inning. The homer ruined Huff's chance for a win.

The Indians' only two runs came on homers by rookies Lonnie Chisenhall and Jason Kipnis. Chisenhall wrapped a homer around Pesky's Pole in right field with two out in the fourth for a 2-1 lead against Josh Beckett. It was Chisenhall's third homer and the sixth the Indians have hit in this series.

Huff took the lead into the fifth and came out of it still intact. It took some doing.

Cabrera put Huff in trouble when he couldn't handle Ellsbury's one-out grounder to short. Dustin Pedroia lined a single to right to bring dangerous Adrian Gonzalez to the plate with Huff nearing the 100-pitch mark. Gonzalez, who leads the AL with 90 RBI, worked the count to 2-2 before grounding into 4-6-3 double play.

In Huff's last two starts, the Indians have committed five errors with him on the mound.

Kipnis was involved in the game's first two runs in the game -- one in a good way, one bad.

Facing Beckett for the first time in his career, Kipnis hit a first-pitch homer into the Boston bullpen in right center in the first. It was Kipnis' third homer in as many games. According to Elias Sports Bureau, he is the first Indians rookie to homer in three straight games since Richie Sexson in August, 1997.

The Red Sox tied the score in the second as a Kipnis error at second put the Tribe in a jam. Ortiz ended up score the tying run on a wild pitch with the bases loaded.

Beckett allowed two runs on six hits in six innings. He struck out seven and didn't walk a batter in 85 pitches.

"He pitched very well," said Acta. "He threw a lot of strikes and didn't walk anybody. We didn't have many chances against him."

Jonathan Papelbon (3-0) pitched the ninth for the win.

Youkilis was ejected in the eighth for protesting his strikeout against Tony Sipp. The start of the game was delayed by rain for 1 hours and 45 minutes.

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