Final
Rays 5 HRs, Price's pitching beat Red Sox 14-5
Sep 8, 2010 - 4:05 AMVideo
BOSTON(AP) -- David Price got plenty of support when Tampa Bay hit five homers. The way he was pitching, he didn't need much of it.
The left-hander allowed two hits over six innings and the Rays beat the Boston Red Sox 14-5 on Tuesday night to move 1 1/2 games behind the first-place New York Yankees in the AL East.
"I get asked about it every now and then. That's about all the thinking I do about" the Cy Young award, Price said. "I'm set on bigger goals than that. We've got the World Series on our minds right now so that's what we're playing for."
Price (17-6) gave up two runs, one earned, lowered his ERA to 2.87 and left with a 14-2 lead. CC Sabathia, another leading Cy Young candidate, had a rough outing Tuesday in the Baltimore Orioles' 6-2 win over the Yankees. He allowed six runs in 6 1-3 innings and fell to 19-6 with a 3.14 ERA.
"Any win right now is huge," Price said. "I didn't even know we had lost three in a row. ... Every game from here on out is going to have the same amount of emphasis on it."
Price gave up the two runs before retiring a batter but allowed just two hits by Victor Martinez. Boston led 2-0 until Ben Zobrist's two-run homer in the third off Daisuke Matsuzaka (9-5).
The Rays added two homers in the fifth, a two-run shot by Jason Bartlett and a three-run drive by Evan Longoria, then got back-to-back homers in the sixth from Dan Johnson and B.J. Upton. Boston had not allowed a homer in its previous six games.
"When you win the way we did, it makes it a little bit more comforting in this building," Longoria said. "The lead is never comfortable, even when you're up eight or nine. To be up where we were late in the game, it's a good feeling."
Carl Crawford went 4 for 4 in just five innings, including doubles in his first three at-bats. He has 12 hits in his last 19 at-bats. He left for a pinch-hitter in the seventh as both teams made numerous lineup changes. Crawford is hitting .350 in 25 games since moving into the third spot in Tampa Bay's lineup.
"In the two-hole, he gets less opportunities," manager Joe Maddon said. "By putting him (No.) three with two guys with high on-base percentage in front of him, potentially to get on base, that increases his potential to drive in runs."
The Rays fell one homer short of their club record and scored a season high in runs. The outburst came one day after a 12-5 loss to Boston.
The Red Sox were hoping to sweep the three-game series, which ends Wednesday night. That would have put them 4 1/2 games behind the Rays for the wild-card berth. Instead, they are 7 1/2 back and manager Terry Francona abandoned his contingency plan to use Clay Buchholz on three days' rest if the Red Sox had won Tuesday. Instead, Tim Wakefield will start against the Rays.
"I knew very well that this was a critical game," Matsuzaka said, "so to allow what happened to happen so early in the game, I can really only apologize to my teammates and to the fans."
Boston went ahead when Marco Scutaro reached on an error by first baseman Carlos Pena, Darnell McDonald walked and Martinez doubled them home. The only other hit off Price was a single by Martinez in the third.
"Those two runs scored and that was that," Longoria said. "He did a great job settling in. He's been the anchor, he's been the stopper for us and he's been able to get us out of the rut when we need it and tonight was no different."
After tying the game, the Rays scored four runs in the fourth, six in the fifth and two in the sixth.
Matsuzaka walked the first two batters in the fourth then threw late to third when he fielded Upton's sacrifice bunt, loading the bases. He walked Bartlett, forcing in the go-ahead run. After John Jaso struck out, Zobrist singled in a run and Crawford doubled home two.
"Lack of command caught up with him and kind of caught up in a hurry," Francona said.
The Rays scored their six runs in the fifth after the first two batters were retired. Upton singled and Bartlett hit his fourth homer of the year, knocking Matsuzaka out of the game.
Dustin Richardson then walked the next two batters before fielding Crawford's ground single and firing wildly past first base, allowing a run to score. Longoria greeted reliever Robert Manuel with his 20th homer.
After four straight hitless innings, the Red Sox scored three runs in the eighth off Jeremy Hellickson on McDonald's ninth homer and RBI doubles by Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Jed Lowrie.
Notes: Boston C Jason Varitek played for the first time since June 30 after recovering from a broken right foot. He replaced Martinez in the sixth. ... Zobrist's foul ball over the left field wall hit the sign for the Cask N' Flagon restaurant, a fan favorite across the street from Fenway Park, on a fly. ... Longoria's homer landed on the roof of a parking garage, also across Lansdowne Street. ... SS Scutaro started at 2B because right shoulder problems. An MRI on Tuesday showed inflammation in his rotator cuff. ... Pena is in an 0-for-23 slump and is batting .203. ... Boston issued its sixth bases-loaded walk in three games.
- Red Sox 5, Rays 14 - FINAL
TAMPA BAY ab r h rbi bb so lob avg
J Jaso c 4 2 1 0 1 1 3 .280
J Hellickson p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -
D Wheeler p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -
vd-R Baldelli ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .167
M Ekstrom p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -
B Zobrist 2b 3 2 2 3 1 0 0 .248
va-R Bri
Sep 7 10:28 PM - AL
AT BOSTON - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY JED LOWRIE SCORED JARROD SALTALAMACCHIA
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, J LOWRIE ON SECOND, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 14
BOSTON 5 BOTTOM,8TH
DUE UP FOR BOSTON: J VARITEK (.260, 0-FOR-1)
Rays 14, Red Sox 5 Bot 8, 0 OutsSep 7 10:09 PM - AL
AT BOSTON - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY JARROD SALTALAMACCHIA SCORED LARS ANDERSON
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, J SALTALAMACCHIA ON SECOND, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 14
BOSTON 4 BOTTOM,8TH
DUE UP FOR BOSTON: E PATTERSON (.224, 6 HR, 15 RBI)
Rays 14, Red Sox 4 Bot 8, 0 OutsSep 7 10:06 PM - AL
AT BOSTON - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY DARNELL MCDONALD (9) TO LEFT CENTER WITH 0
OUT IN THE 8TH OFF JEREMY HELLICKSON.
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 14, BOSTON 3
DUE UP FOR BOSTON: Y NAVARRO (.111, 0-FOR-0, BB)
Rays 14, Red Sox 3 Bot 8, 0 OutsSep 7 10:00 PM - AL
AT BOSTON - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY B.J. UPTON (15) TO LEFT CENTER WITH 1 OUT
IN THE 6TH OFF ROBERT MANUEL.
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 14, BOSTON 2
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: J BARTLETT (.254, 1-FOR-2, BB, HR, 3 RBI)
Rays 14, Red Sox 2 Top 6, 0 OutsSep 7 9:17 PM - AL
AT BOSTON - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY DAN JOHNSON (3) TO RIGHT CENTER WITH 1 OUT
IN THE 6TH OFF ROBERT MANUEL.
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 13, BOSTON 2
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: B UPTON (.236, 1-FOR-2, SAC)
Rays 13, Red Sox 2 Top 6, 0 OutsSep 7 9:17 PM - AL
AT BOSTON - SCORING UPDATE
THREE-RUN HOME RUN BY EVAN LONGORIA (21) TO LEFT CENTER WITH
2 OUT IN THE 5TH OFF ROBERT MANUEL SCORED CARL CRAWFORD
AND BEN ZOBRIST.
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 12, BOSTON 2
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: C PENA (.203, 0-FOR-3)
Rays 12, Red Sox 2 Top 5, 0 OutsSep 7 9:03 PM - AL
AT BOSTON - SCORING UPDATE
ERROR BY DUSTIN RICHARDSON ALLOWED JOHN JASO TO SCORE.
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, C CRAWFORD ON SECOND, B ZOBRIST ON THIRD, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 9
BOSTON 2 TOP,5TH
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: E LONGORIA (.293, 0-FOR-2, BB)
Rays 9, Red Sox 2 Top 5, 0 OutsSep 7 8:59 PM - AL
AT BOSTON - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY JASON BARTLETT (4) TO LEFT WITH 2 OUT IN
THE 5TH OFF DAISUKE MATSUZAKA SCORED B.J. UPTON.
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 8, BOSTON 2
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: J JASO (.281, 1-FOR-3)
Rays 8, Red Sox 2 Top 5, 0 OutsSep 7 8:46 PM - AL
AT BOSTON - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY CARL CRAWFORD SCORED JASON BARTLETT AND B.J.
UPTON
SITUATION: 4 RUNS IN, C CRAWFORD ON SECOND, B ZOBRIST ON THIRD, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 6
BOSTON 2 TOP,4TH
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: E LONGORIA (.293, 0-FOR-1, BB)
Rays 6, Red Sox 2 Top 4, 0 OutsSep 7 8:29 PM - AL
AT BOSTON - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY BEN ZOBRIST SCORED DAN JOHNSON
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, B ZOBRIST ON FIRST, J BARTLETT ON SECOND, B
UPTON ON THIRD, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 4
BOSTON 2 TOP,4TH
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: C CRAWFORD (.304, 2-FOR-2)
Rays 4, Red Sox 2 Top 4, 0 OutsSep 7 8:28 PM - AL
AT BOSTON - SCORING UPDATE
BASES LOADED WALK TO JASON BARTLETT SCORED MATT JOYCE
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, J BARTLETT ON FIRST, B UPTON ON SECOND, D
JOHNSON ON THIRD, 0 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 3
BOSTON 2 TOP,4TH
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: J JASO (.282, 1-FOR-2)
Rays 3, Red Sox 2 Top 4, 0 OutsSep 7 8:22 PM - AL
AT BOSTON - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY BEN ZOBRIST (9) TO CENTER WITH 1 OUT IN
THE 3RD OFF DAISUKE MATSUZAKA SCORED JOHN JASO.
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 2, BOSTON 2
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: C CRAWFORD (.303, 1-FOR-1)
Rays 2, Red Sox 2 Top 3, 0 OutsSep 7 7:57 PM - AL
AT BOSTON - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY VICTOR MARTINEZ SCORED DARNELL MCDONALD AND MARCO
SCUTARO
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, V MARTINEZ ON SECOND, 0 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 0
BOSTON 2 BOTTOM,1ST
DUE UP FOR BOSTON: A BELTRE (.324, 26 HR, 93 RBI)
Rays 0, Red Sox 2 Bot 1, 0 OutsSep 7 7:30 PM
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