Oct 8, 2008 - 6:48 AM
0 shoutsOverall Season Series - TAM, 10-8 Series at Boston - BOS, 7-2 Series at Tampa Bay - TAM, 8-1
DATE SITE WINNER ---- ---- ------ 4/25 TAM TAM, 5-4 4/26 TAM TAM, 2-1 4/27 TAM TAM, 3-0 5/2 BOS BOS, 7-3 5/3 BOS BOS, 12-4 5/4 BOS BOS, 7-3 6/3 BOS BOS, 7-4 6/4 BOS BOS, 5-1 6/5 BOS BOS, 7-1 6/30 TAM TAM, 5-4 7/1 TAM TAM, 3-1 7/2 TAM TAM, 7-6 9/8 BOS BOS, 3-0 9/9 BOS TAM, 5-4 9/10 BOS TAM, 4-2 9/15 TAM BOS, 13-5 9/16 TAM TAM, 2-1 9/17 TAM TAM, 10-3
TAMPA BAY 5, BOSTON 4 (11 INNINGS) ----------------------------------
ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Ticker) -- Nathan Haynes admits he doesn't have many major league highlights to chose from. But Friday night's will be at the top of his list for some time.
Haynes' RBI single in the bottom of the 11th inning scored Carl Crawford as the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Boston Red Sox, 5-4, on Friday.
The Rays (12-11) won their fourth consecutive game and moved one game above .500, matching their best start in franchise history after 23 games.
So will the Red Sox, who blew multiple chances to avoid a third consecutive loss.
Crawford led off the 11th with a single and stole second. After Mike Timlin (2-2) walked B.J. Upton, Haynes singled to right field, easily scoring Crawford.
Besides scoring the game-winner, Crawford had three hits, including two triples.
Both teams wasted opportunities in the ninth inning. With runners on first and second and one out, Tampa Bay's Dan Wheeler retired David Ortiz on a flyout and struck out Manny Ramirez.
In the bottom of the inning, Eric Hinske flew out to the warning track in right field with the bases loaded, sending the contest to extra innings.
The Red Sox also grounded into inning-ending double plays in the 10th and 11th.
Tim Wakefield, who owns a 19-3 lifetime record against the Rays, allowed four runs - three earned - and six hits in six innings with five walks and one strikeout.
Pitching for the first time since suffering nerve irritation in his right elbow on April 8, Tampa Bay's Matt Garza went five innings, allowing three runs, five hits and three walks with one strikeout.
Ramirez and Kevin Cash each had three of Boston's 10 hits. Ramirez increased his league-leading average to .370.
TAMPA BAY 2, BOSTON 1 --------------------- ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Ticker) - For seven innings, Clay Buchholz was nearly unhittable. In the eighth inning, Buchholz allowed only two hits - but they were two too many.
Akinori Iwamura's two-out, two-run home run in the eighth inning off Buchholz lifted the Tampa Bay Rays to a 2-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Saturday.
Tampa Bay emerged victorious in its last at-bat for the second time in as many days. The Rays also recorded their season-high fifth straight victory.
The loss was the fourth consecutive for the Red Sox - their longest slide of the season.
Troy Percival, who has not allowed a run in nine appearances, pitched the ninth to pick up his fifth save.
Iwamura's home run was only the third hit allowed by Buchholz (1-2).
Buchholz (1-2) credited Iwamura for the hit.
Buchholz, who threw a no-hitter September 1, 2007 against Baltimore, had no-hit stuff again on Saturday. He only allowed one hit - a fourth-inning double to B.J. Upton - through seven innings.
After consecutive walks to Upton and Carlos Pena in the first, Buchholz retired 20 of the next 21 batters until Dioner Navarro's one-out single in the eighth. One out later, Iwamura sent a 1-1 pitch into the right-field stands.
Buchholz struck out nine and walked two.
The Red Sox's leadoff batter reached base in the first three innings, but they could not push across a run.
Boston finally scored in the fifth on Jacoby Ellsbury's two-out infield single to third base.
Edwin Jackson allowed five hits in seven innings with three walks and four strikeouts, limiting Boston to a season-low one run.
TAMPA BAY 3, BOSTON 0 --------------------- ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Ticker) -- There's a new beast in the American League East - the Tampa Bay Rays.
James Shields threw a two-hit shutout Sunday as the Rays completed a three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox with a 3-0 victory.
Off to its best start in franchise history, Tampa Bay (14-11) pulled into a three-way tie with Boston and the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East.
Rookie Evan Longoria hit a home run, as the Rays extended their season-long winning streak to six games and handed Boston its fifth consecutive loss.
Shields (3-1) tossed his third complete game and first career shutout against the Red Sox, who scored only one run in the last 23 innings at Tampa Bay.
The righthander struck out seven and walked one, as Boston only had one runner reach second base.
The Red Sox wasted a brilliant day from Josh Beckett (2-2), who struck out a career-high 13 and walked one. Beckett fanned the Rays' first five batters and had eight strikeouts through three innings.
Beckett allowed only four hits, but his third-inning error led to the Rays' first run. With Jason Bartlett on first, Beckett's pickoff throw sailed past first baseman Kevin Youkilis down the right-field line. Right fielder J.D. Drew's throw missed the cut-off man, allowing Bartlett to score.
After Longoria's home run gave Tampa Bay a 2-0 cushion in the seventh, Carl Crawford added an RBI double in the eighth off Manny Delcarmen to cap the scoring.
In the fifth, Manny Ramirez led off with a walk and stole second. But Shields retired Youkilis, Coco Crisp and Jason Varitek, stranding the only Red Sox runner to reach scoring position.
BOSTON 7, TAMPA BAY 3 --------------------- BOSTON (Ticker) -- A long rain delay was apparently just what Dustin Pedroia and the struggling Boston Red Sox lineup needed.
Pedroia snapped an 0-for-16 slump with two hits and three RBI and Brandon Moss homered and threw out a runner at the plate to lead the Red Sox over the Tampa Bay Rays, 7-3, on Friday in a game that started 2 hours, 27 minutes late due to rain.
Clay Buchholz (2-2) started for Boston and allowed one run and five hits in 5 1/3 innings. The righthander was supported by a lineup that finally found its rhythm.
Entering Friday's series opener, the Red Sox had scored a total of just five runs in their previous five games.
But Boston roughed up Edwin Jackson (2-3) in the fourth, sending nine batters to the plate and scoring five times after the first two hitters were retired.
Moss began the two-out uprising with a solo homer to straightaway center, his second blast of the season. Three batters later, Jacoby Ellsbury delivered an RBI single, and Pedroia followed with a two-run base hit to make it 5-0.
Prior to Ellsbury's single, Jackson issued a walk to Julio Lugo, which Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon thought was key.
Ortiz capped the big inning with a sharp single through the overshift in right. It was Boston's biggest inning since scoring five in the fourth against Texas in an 8-3 win on April 21.
Jackson allowed a double by Mike Lowell and walked Kevin Youkilis to open the fifth before being pulled. The Rays' starter yielded six runs and nine hits in four-plus innings, walking three and striking out four.
While Jackson was unable to avoid the big inning, Buchholz escaped trouble in both the second and third, stranding two in each frame while keeping the Rays off the board. Buchholz was aided by sparkling outfield defense from Moss, who threw out Evan Longoria at the plate in the second.
The first two runners reached against Buchholz in the third, but the righthander struck out Jonny Gomes, Carlos Pena and Longoria in succession to get out of the jam.
Hideki Okajima pitched a perfect eighth and Jonathan Papelbon tossed a scoreless ninth to clinch the victory.
BOSTON 12, TAMPA BAY 4 ---------------------- BOSTON (Ticker) -- The Boston Red Sox got their revenge on James Shields.Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz had three hits apiece and combined to score four times in support of Josh Beckett as the Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 12-4, on a raw, cold Saturday night at Fenway Park.
Jason Varitek added three RBI for the Red Sox, who improved to 4-1 on their six-game homestand.
Six days after being shut out on two hits by Shields, the Red Sox immediately jumped on the righthander in the first inning. Jacoby Ellsbury and Pedroia opened with singles before Ortiz lofted an RBI double off the "Green Monster" in left for a 1-0 lead.
Manny Ramirez followed with a two-run single to center, putting Boston up, 3-0.
The game was played with temperatures in the low 40s and a wind gusting up to 20 miles per hour.
Ramirez threw Carlos Pena out at the plate in the fourth, completing an inning-ending double play with the Rays threatening to close a two-run deficit.
Ramirez's first-inning, two-run single provided his first RBI since April 19, a span of 11 games - the second-longest drought of his career.
Beckett (3-2) looked sharp early, easily retiring the first five batters he faced. But Dioner Navarro singled to right with two outs in the second and Gabe Gross followed with a long homer into the right field grandstands on a 1-0 pitch to cut the deficit to 3-2.
The Red Sox came back in the bottom of the inning as Pedroia plated Ellsbury with a single to right.
Julio Lugo doubled home J.D. Drew with two outs in the third to restore Boston's three-run cushion at 5-2.
The Red Sox finally knocked Shields from the game in the fourth, scoring twice more. Shields (3-2) lasted just 3 2/3 innings, allowing seven runs and 10 hits with three walks and three strikeouts.
Beckett allowed four runs and seven hits - including two homers - in eight innings.
Before the game, Red Sox reserve outfielder Brandon Moss felt ill and was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital for an emergency appendectomy. He got out of successful surgery just after 11 p.m. EDT.
BOSTON 7, TAMPA BAY 3 --------------------- BOSTON (Ticker) -- The Boston Red Sox made it a miserable season debut for Scott Kazmir on Sunday.
Kevin Youkilis homered, doubled twice and drove in four runs while Jon Lester allowed one run over six innings as the Red Sox completed a three-game sweep with a 7-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park.
Boston slugger David Ortiz was scratched just before the game with stiffness in his surgically repaired right knee. Ortiz has been having trouble ever since diving head-first into first on April 25 at Tampa Bay.
Youkilis moved up to third in the order to take Ortiz's place and the Sox offense didn't miss a beat.
The re-worked Red Sox lineup made Kazmir - sidelined all spring with a strained left elbow - work from the outset.
Jacoby Ellsbury opened the first with an infield single and moved to second when Dustin Pedroia worked a walk. Following a double steal, Youkilis drove home the first run with a sacrifice fly.
After stranding two runners in the second, the Red Sox opened the third with three straight hits. Pedroia started the frame with a single and scored on a wild pitch followed by back-to-back doubles by Youkilis and Ramirez for a 3-0 lead.
The Red Sox added an unearned run in the fourth on an RBI groundout by Pedroia.
Kazmir (0-1) was pulled after four innings, allowing six hits and four runs - three earned - while walking three and striking out five.
Carlos Pena's towering home run into the grandstands in right on an 0-2 fastball snapped Lester's scoreless innings streak at 13 and cut the deficit to 4-1.
Lester (2-2), using a two-seam fastball, scattered four hits and three walks over six innings and escaped jams in the first and the second, when he stranded two runners in each frame but still held the Rays scoreless until Pena's seventh homer of the season.
Tampa Bay made it a one-run game in the seventh, scoring twice off relievers Manny Delcarmen and Hideki Okajima before Youkilis sent an 0-1 pitch from Dan Wheeler into the tarp-covered bleachers in center for a 5-3 Boston lead.
One weekend after scoring just five runs and getting swept for the first time ever by Tampa Bay, the Red Sox exacted their revenge by scoring 24 runs over the weekend.
Youkilis drove in two more with an eighth-inning double against Scott Dohmann, giving him four RBI to match a career high.
The Red Sox stole five bases, their most since July 2002.
Jonathan Papelbon pitched 1 1/3 perfect innings to convert his ninth save.
BOSTON 7, TAMPA BAY 4 ---------------------
BOSTON (Ticker) - Even with David Ortiz on the disabled list, the Boston Red Sox showed they still have pop in their lineup.
Mike Lowell and J.D. Drew homered and the Red Sox scored four times in the sixth inning to beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 7-4, on Monday in the opener of a key three-game series at Fenway Park.
The win pulled the Red Sox to within one game of the first-place Rays in the American League East. Just prior to the game, Ortiz was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a torn sheath covering tendons in his left wrist. Akinori Iwamura homered on a 1-1 pitch from rookie Justin Masterson (2-0) leading off the game. Iwamura's fourth homer of the season and second leadoff homer this season gave the Rays their first lead.
Before his first at-bat in the second inning, Boston's Manny Ramirez was honored by a standing ovation from the sellout crowd after moving past the 500-home run plateau over the weekend in Baltimore.
Ramirez stepped out of the batter's box and tipped his helmet to the crowd before stepping in and singling to center, starting a two-run rally off Rays starter Matt Garza (4-2). Lowell followed with his eighth homer of the season, a two-run shot to the third row of "Green Monster" seats in left. After the Rays tied the game on back-to-back doubles from B.J. Upton and Carlos Pena to open the fourth, Drew cracked a fastball into the grandstands in right field for his sixth homer.
The Rays briefly reclaimed the lead in the sixth on Pena's two-run homer off Masterson to the Rays bullpen in right . But the Red Sox responded in the bottom half of the inning, keyed by an error by shortstop Jason Bartlett, who mishandled Ramirez's grounder, putting runners at first and second with none out. Jason Varitek's bases-loaded single to center tied the game at 4-4 and Coco Crisp followed with a two-run double down the left field line to put Boston up, 6-4.
The Red Sox added an insurance run on a sacrifice fly by Jacoby Ellsbury. Red Sox reliever Craig Hansen came into the game with runners on first and second and none out in the eighth and escaped without any runs crossing the plate.
BOSTON 5, TAMPA BAY 1 ---------------------
BOSTON (Ticker) -- The Boston Red Sox used their home-field advantage to leapfrog back into first place in the American League East.
J.D. Drew continued to swing a hot bat, collecting another two hits, while Josh Beckett allowed just one run in six innings as the Red Sox defeated the Tampa Bay Rays, 5-1, on Wednesday for their 12th straight win at Fenway Park. Drew, batting third in place of the injured David Ortiz, also scored twice while Kevin Youkilis and Coco Crisp chipped in with two hits apiece for Boston, which improved to a major league-best 23-5 at home and moved into first in the AL East by a half-game over Tampa Bay.
Without a hit in the first two innings against Tampa Bay starter Edwin Jackson (3-5), Crisp opened the third with a sharp single to right. He moved to second on a groundout and score the game's first run on Jacoby Ellsbury's single to center. After Ellsbury moved to second on a pickoff throw that eluded Rays first baseman Eric Hinske, the Red Sox made it 2-0 on an RBI ground-rule double from Drew. Manny Ramirez capped the three-run rally in the third with an RBI single to center that extended his hitting streak to 10 games.
The Rays got a run back off Beckett in the fourth when Hinske singled home rookie Evan Longoria. But the Red Sox restored their three-run lead in the bottom of the inning when Crisp plated Youkilis with a sacrifice fly. The three-run lead proved enough for Beckett (6-4), who was hit hard at times but managed to keep the Rays in check by scattering seven hits and with five strikeouts and no walks.
Jackson allowed six hits and four runs over five frames, walking three, striking out four and tossing a wild pitch.
BOSTON 7, TAMPA BAY 1 ---------------------
BOSTON (Ticker) -- Manny Ramirez was late to one fight, in the middle of another and found just enough time to deliver haymakers with his bat during a wild Thursday night at Fenway Park.
Amid a chippy affair that saw a bench-clearing brawl in the second inning and a scuffle in the Boston Red Sox dugout between Ramirez and teammate Kevin Youkilis, the Red Sox's slugger smashed a three-run homer in the first and had five RBI before leaving with an apparent leg injury in Boston's 7-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.
The teams fought in the bottom of the second inning after Rays starter James Shields hit Red Sox center fielder Coco Crisp with a pitch, carrying on a dispute between Crisp and Tampa Bay that started Wednesday night. Shields, Crisp and Rays designated hitter Jonny Gomes were ejected after what amounted to a violent fight.
The designated hitter Thursday, Ramirez likely was in the batting cage when fists started flying and was among the last to reach the mound.
However, the enigmatic slugger was not through making his presence felt. His two-run single in the fourth finished the scoring and, after Youkilis and he exchanged words in the dugout following the frame, Ramirez slapped Youkilis with a backhand before both players were separated.
Ramirez, whose home run was the 503rd of his career and fifth in nine games, appeared to tweak his knee holding up a swing in the seventh. He went to first on a walk but was replaced by Kevin Cash one batter later, ending his first five-RBI performance since July 1, 2006.
Overshadowed by both fights and injuries to Ramirez and Red Sox rookie center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury was a steady performance by Jon Lester (4-3), who yielded a run and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings. Lester struck out five and walked none in improving to 8-2 in his career at Fenway Park.
Lester was a relative afterthought in a game that ran Boston's home winning streak to 13 and gave the club its eighth straight win here over the Rays, who have engaged in several fights with the Red Sox over the years.
The tension between the two sides was amped up Wednesday when Crisp slid hard into Tampa Bay second baseman Akinori Iwamura and hinted after the game that he expected retaliation the next night. Despite that thought, and the fact that Shields' beanball was kept below the waist, the speedster still charged the mound without much hesitation. Shields was waiting for Crisp but missed wildly with the first punch as Boston's center fielder moved out of the way. Crisp was wayward with an answer before a rush of players and coaches swallowed the brawlers into a pile on the mound.
In the mix, Red Sox third base coach DeMarlo Hale took down Shields from behind while Rays designated hitter Gomes jumped on Crisp, throwing punches that mostly tagged the back of his own catcher, Dioner Navarro, who was atop Crisp.
Shields (4-4) was charged with four runs in one-plus innings in dropping his second straight decision against the Red Sox since shutting them out April 27.
TAMPA BAY 5, BOSTON 4 ---------------------
ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Ticker) -- B.J. Upton led off the game with a home run and Gabe Gross added a two-run shot in the fourth inning as the Tampa Bay Rays held on for a 5-4 victory against the Boston Red Sox on Monday night.
In a matchup of the top two teams in the American League East, the Rays won their fourth consecutive game at Tropicana Field against the Red Sox.
The upstart Rays (50-32) opened a 1 1/2-game advantage over the Red Sox (50-35). Tampa Bay owns the best record in the majors.
James Shields (6-5) allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings, walking one and striking out five, but could only watch as the Red Sox nearly tied it in the ninth. After Shields left, the Rays used five relievers - Trever Miller, Grant Balfour, Dan Wheeler, Troy Percival and J.P. Howell - to close the game.
In the ninth, Percival allowed three hits and two runs in before Howell came on to retire Julio Lugo, with the tying run on third, on a line drive to shortstop for the final out and his second save.
Percival left with two out after apparently re-injuring his hamstring that had put him on the disabled list earlier this month.
With Boston trailing, 5-2, going to the ninth, Brandon Moss' RBI double off a wire hanging from the Tropicana Field roof made it 5-3. Percival then retired Jason Varitek on a sacrifice fly, cutting Tampa Bay's lead to 5-4. But Howell retired Lugo to end the game.
In the fourth, Gross' home run gave the Rays a 3-1 lead they would never relinquish. J.D. Drew hit a solo home run in the sixth, pulling the Red Sox within 4-2. However, the Rays added a run in the seventh on Jonny Gomes' bases-loaded fielder's choice.
Mike Lowell had three of Boston's eight hits. His fourth-inning single tied the contest at 1, but Tampa Bay answered in the bottom of the inning on Gross' two-run shot. Boston starter Justin Masterson (4-2) allowed four runs in six innings. He struck out five, walked five and allowed both Tampa Bay home runs.
TAMPA BAY 3, BOSTON 1 ---------------------
ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Ticker) -- Dioner Navarro had a pair of two-out RBI singles and Matt Garza pitched seven solid innings as the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Boston Red Sox, 3-1, Tuesday night.
The Rays (51-32) won their second consecutive game against the Red Sox (50-36) and opened a 2 1/2-game lead in the American League East.
Tampa Bay also defeated nemesis Tim Wakefield, who fell to 9-2 at Tropicana Field, where the Rays are 28-6 in their last 34 games.
Garza (7-4) won his second consecutive game. In those two games, he's allowed only one earned run in 16 innings. On Tuesday, Garza allowed five hits in seven innings with no walks and three strike outs.
Tampa Bay took advantage of a Boston error and Wakefield's wild pitch for a 1-0 lead in the first. With two out and Carl Crawford on second, he advanced to third on shortstop
In the fourth, Boston pulled even at 1-1 thanks to a Tampa Bay error. Jacoby Ellsbury dribbled a ball in front of the plate for a single and Navarro threw wildly to first, advancing Ellsbury to third.
One batter later, J.D. Drew's sacrifice fly drove in Ellsbury. In the bottom of the inning, Navarro made up for his mistake with an RBI single, putting Tampa Bay back on top 2-1. Navarro, who had two of Tampa Bay's six hits, then added another RBI single with two out in the eighth inning, making it 3-1.
With closer Troy Percival still ailing from a left hamstring injury suffered Monday, Grant Balfour pitched the final 1 1/3 innings for his second save.
Wakefield (5-6) allowed five hits in seven innings. He allowed two runs - one earned - walked three and struck out four. Wakefield remained winless on the road since May 6 while losing for only the fourth time in 23 career decisions against the Rays.
The Red Sox lost their fourth consecutive game, matching their longest losing streak of the season.
Ellsbury and Brandon Moss each had two hits for the Red Sox, who were limited to six hits.
TAMPA BAY 7, BOSTON 6 ---------------------
ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Ticker) -- Evan Longoria's two-run double keyed a six-run seven inning as the Tampa Bay Rays rallied past the Boston Red Sox for a wild 7-6 victory and a sweep of their three-game series on Wednesday.
Longoria finished with three hits and three RBI and Jason Bartlett added two hits, including a two-run single in the seventh. The red-hot Rays (52-32), who own the best record in the major leagues, increased their lead over the Red Sox in the American League East Division to a franchise-best 3 1/2 games.
Tampa Bay, which finished 21 games under .500 last year, now is 20 games over the mark after overcoming a 4-1 seventh-inning deficit.
The Rays swept the Red Sox for a second time at Tropicana Field, and the PA announcer at Tropicana Field added salt to the wound by blaring the Red Sox's anthem, "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond, after Dan Wheeler struck out Jason Varitek to end the game. Dustin Pedroia had four hits and fell a single shy of hitting for the cycle for Boston, which lost a season high-tying fifth straight time. The scrappy second baseman homered in the first, tripled in the third and doubled in the fifth.
Needing only a single in his final two at-bats, Pedroia flied out in the sixth and delivered an RBI double in the eighth to draw Boston within 7-5.
In the ninth, the Red Sox nearly pulled even. With none out and runners on the corners, center fielder B.J. Upton's spectacular over-the-shoulder catch at the warning track turned Kevin Youkilis' potential extra-base hit into a long sacrifice fly. Mike Lowell was thrown out on a failed hit-and-run, and Wheeler struck out Varitek to notch his third save of the season.
Trailing, 4-1, in the seventh, the Rays erupted for six runs against four Red Sox relievers. Akinori Iwamura had an RBI single, Carlos Pena drew a bases-loaded walk and Longoria drilled a two-run double to left-center field.
Bartlett, who started the inning with a double, added a two-run single to cap the scoring.
Manny Delcarmen, who began the frame, failed to record an out, allowing three consecutive hits. Craig Hansen (1-3) followed by walking two and allowing Longoria's two-base hit.
Both starters left after five innings. Boston's Daisuke Matsuzaka allowed only one run and two hits but walked five and struck out five, while counterpart Scott Kazmir allowed four runs and seven hits with four walks and three strikeouts.
Gary Glover (1-2) pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings to pick up the win.
Already ahead, 2-1, the Red Sox loaded the bases with one out in the fourth and appeared to score on Jacoby Ellsbury's fielder's choice to second. However, second base umpire Sam Holbrook called interference on Julio Lugo, who slid wide of the bag and tackled shortstop Bartlett.
In the fifth, J.D. Drew delivered an RBI triple and scored on a wild pitch by Kazmir gave Boston a 4-1 lead. Carl Crawford had three singles for the Rays, who are 29-6 in their last 35 home games.
BOSTON 3, TAMPA BAY 0 ---------------------
BOSTON (Ticker) -- The Boston Red Sox gave their record-breaking fans the best kind of reward Monday night at Fenway Park.
Before a major-league record 456th consecutive sellout at Fenway Park, Jason Bay homered and Jon Lester threw 7 2/3 scoreless innings as the Red Sox beat the slumping Tampa Bay Rays, 3-0, to draw to within one-half game of first place in the American League East. Coco Crisp went 3-for-3 for Boston (85-58), which has cut five full games off Tampa Bay's lead in the last eight days and stands closest to first place since leading the Rays (85-57) by one-half game at the All-Star break.
Edwin Jackson (11-10) could not stop the bleeding for the slumping Rays, who have lost the first four games of a nine-game road trip through AL East foes Toronto, Boston and New York. Jackson allowed eight hits and three runs over seven-plus innings. The Red Sox got to Jackson in the first inning and capitalized on the righthander's early wildness.
Mark Kotsay worked a leadoff walk and scored on a one-out double by David Ortiz. Kevin Youkilis drove home Ortiz with a single to center but was thrown out trying to take second.
Bay followed by launching a drive to the light tower in left-center for his sixth homer with the Red Sox and 28th overall this season to give Boston a 3-0 lead. Tampa Bay could not muster much until the sixth against Lester. With one out in the frame, Akinori Iwamura singled to left and Ben Zobrist walked. But Carlos Pena flew out to center and Rocco Baldelli struck out for the third straight at-bat against Lester to end the threat.
Lester (14-5) struck out nine and won for the 11th time in his last 13 decisions, dating back to June 5 against Tampa Bay. The lefthander received a standing ovation as he left with runners on second and third and two outs in the eighth. Jonathan Papelbon struck out Baldelli for the fourth time to end the eighth and pitched the ninth for his 36th save in 40 chances.
The crowd of 37,662 watched the Red Sox win for the sixth time in seven games while breaking the old consecutive sellout streak of the Cleveland Indians from 1995 to 2001. Boston's streak began on May 15, 2003.
TAMPA BAY 5, BOSTON 4 ---------------------
BOSTON (Ticker) -- If the Tampa Bay Rays hang on to win an improbable American League East Division crown, Tuesday night in Boston will be a big reason why.
Called up from Class AAA Durham earlier in the day, Dan Johnson hit a game-tying home run off All-Star closer Jonathan Papelbon in the top of the ninth inning and Dioner Navarro delivered an RBI double moments later helped the reeling Rays record a 5-4 triumph over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.
Jason Bay had given the Red Sox a 4-3 lead with a two-run homer in the eighth. Had the advantage held up, Boston (85-59) would've taken over first place in the division for the first time since July 13. Instead, Tampa Bay (86-57) extended its advantage to 1 1/2 games in the division.
But just moments after Bay took his curtain call, Johnson, who was a late scratch from the starting lineup due to delays getting to the park, took Papelbon (5-4) deep to tie the game at 4-4 and stun the Fenway crowd.
It was Papelbon's fifth blown save of the year.
Rookie Fernando Perez, also a recent call-up, then doubled off the "Green Monster" for his second career hit and Navarro followed with a two-base hit of his own to plate the eventual game-winner.
Despite giving up the homer to Bay, Dan Wheeler (4-5) got the win with an inning of relief. Troy Percival got the last three outs for his 28th save, getting Coco Crisp to pop out with a runner at third to end it.
Rays starter Scott Kazmir allowed just two runs in six innings and left with the 3-2 lead that Wheeler couldn't hold. He struck out four and walked three, giving up only a first-inning RBI double to Kevin Youkilis and a solo homer to Mike Lowell in the fourth. Tampa Bay, which is now assured of leaving town with the division lead after Wednesday's rubber game, scratched two runs in the third when Cliff Floyd was hit by a pitch from Red Sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka with the bases loaded, and a sacrifice fly by Willy Aybar.
Jason Bartlett's RBI double in the fourth put the Rays ahead, 3-1. Matsuzaka gave up three runs and eight hits in five shaky innings, walking four and striking out five.
BOSTON 13, TAMPA BAY 5 ----------------------
ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Ticker) -- David Ortiz was one of six players to hit home runs as the Boston Red Sox crushed the Tampa Bay Rays, 13-5, on Monday to pull even atop the American League East.
The Red Sox hit four of their homers off Rays All-Star lefthander Scott Kazmir, who lasted only three-plus innings.
The Red Sox (89-61) and Rays (88-60) are tied for the AL East lead, the first time since July 24 the Rays haven't had sole possession of first place.
The loss was Tampa Bay's fourth in 13 games in September, while the Red Sox - who were 5 1/2 games out on August 31 - are 10-4 in September.
TAMPA BAY 2, BOSTON 1 ---------------------
ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Ticker) -- Dioner Navarro's single to deep center field with one out in the ninth inning lifted the Tampa Bay Rays to a 2-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday in a battle of American League East contenders.
Carlos Pena added a solo home run for the Rays (89-60), who regained a one-game lead over the Red Sox (89-62) in the AL East.
Starters Andy Sonnanstine and Josh Beckett were brilliant, but the game ultimately was decided by the bullpens.
After Justin Masterson (6-5) replaced Beckett to start the ninth, Jason Bartlett flared a single to short right and Pena walked.
Masterson struck out Evan Longoria but hit Cliff Floyd to load the bases for Navarro, who drove a fly ball over a drawn-in outfield to end the game. The Red Sox took a 1-0 lead in the sixth on Kevin Youkilis' sacrifice fly. However, Pena hit his 29th homer on the first pitch of the seventh inning off Beckett to pull Tampa Bay even at 1-1.
Sonnanstine, who has lost only once in his last nine outings, allowed three hits and an unearned run in six innings. He struck out five and walked two. Beckett, who is 5-1 in his last eight starts, lasted eight innings, allowing one run and three hits while walking one and striking out seven.
Tampa Bay had only five base runners against Beckett, while the Red Sox managed nine base runners against Sonnanstine and three relievers.
Boston had a chance to take the lead with two outs in the ninth. Mike Lowell singled to left and Mark Kotsay walked against lefthander J.P. Howell. However, Jed Lowrie struck out against righthander Dan Wheeler (5-5) to end the threat.
TAMPA BAY 10, BOSTON 3 ----------------------
ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Ticker) -- Willy Aybar, Gabe Gross and Fernando Perez each homered as the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Boston Red Sox, 10-3, on Wednesday.
After losing the series opener to Boston, 13-5, the Rays (90-60) won the final two games to open a two-game lead over the Red Sox (89-63) atop the American League East.
The Rays also reduced their magic number to four to clinch a playoff berth and 10 to win the AL East.
All of the Rays' home runs came in the first three innings off knuckleballer Tim Wakefield (9-11).
Aybar had never faced Wakefield before, but Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon decided to start him on a hunch. Aybar homered on the first pitch from Wakefield, with his two-run home run giving Tampa Bay a 3-2 lead in the first.
Gross and Perez added back-to-back homers in the second, making it 5-2. Aybar, who finished with three RBI, and Perez each added an RBI single in the third to put the game away.
David Ortiz hit two homers off Tampa Bay starter Matt Garza and accounted for all three runs for the Red Sox. He also had two of the Red Sox's six hits off four Rays pitchers. Garza left with two outs in the fifth with two on when Ortiz came to the plate for a third time. Grant Balfour (5-2) retired the slugger on a fly to center to keep Tampa Bay's lead at 8-3.
Balfour allowed one hit in two innings and struck out two as three relievers combined for 4 1/3 scoreless innings.
Wakefield lasted only 2 1/3 innings, the second time in his last three starts that he has failed to reach the third inning. The veteran righthander allowed six hits and six runs while striking out two.
