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Garza outduels Wakefield as Rays edge Red Sox

Jul 2, 2008 - 4:11 AM ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Ticker) -- Tim Wakefield is usually unbeatable against the Tampa Bay Rays. But this season's Rays aren't the usual bunch.

Dioner Navarro delivered a pair of two-out RBI singles and Matt Garza pitched seven solid innings as Tampa Bay 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 defeated nemesis Wakefield, who fell to 9-2 at Tropicana Field, where the Rays are 28-6 in their last 34 games.

"(Wakefield's) really good in this building," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. "We have to pitch well in order to beat him. There were only a couple of opportunities tonight to score runs and we took advantage of it."

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.

"I was just trying to stay pitch-to-pitch," Garza said. "Don't try to do too much or be too fancy. I just go out there and do the best I can for as long as I can."

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 Alex Cora's fielding error.

Crawford then scored on Wakefield's wild pitch.

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's single scored Evan Longoria, who advanced to second on another Wakefield wild pitch.

"When you're playing a hot team like that, you just can't have those mistakes happen," Kevin Cash said. "They are going to make the most of it, and they did."

Navarro, who had two of Tampa Bay's six hits, then added another RBI single off reliever Manny Delcarmen with two out in the eighth inning, making it 3-1.

"I was just trying to put the ball in play and make something happen," Navarro said.

With closer Troy Percival unavailable due a left hamstring injury suffered Monday, Grant Balfour pitched the final 1 1/3 innings for his second save. Percival was placed on the 15-day DL after the game.

"We expect to win, so we're not shocked to go out there and win the ballgame," Balfour said. "We're just going to go out and play each ballgame as it comes."

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.

"These guys aren't like they used to be, they're pretty good over there," Wakefield said. "I think Garza is probably one of their, if not the best, pitcher that they have on that staff."

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.

"Wake pitched so well," Boston manager Terry Francona said. "We had very few opportunities and we couldn't cash in. We showed up to win and they outplayed us. That's what matters to us."