Final
Rays seek to get on track versus Red Sox
Sep 17, 2012 - 4:02 PMVideo
The Rays did themselves no favors last week, going just 1-5 on a six-game road trip against the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees. Instead of tightening things up in the standings, the Rays now sit five games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East and four back of the Orioles for the league's second wild card spot.
Tampa Bay dropped the rubber match of its series with New York on Sunday as Matt Moore lasted just three innings in a 6-4 loss. He gave up five runs on three hits and four walks in the shortest outing of his career.
"In the first and second inning I felt really good and I liked our chances from there. That third inning was just atrocious," Moore said after yielding five runs in the aforementioned third frame.
Cobb has gone 9-8 with a 4.26 earned run average through 20 starts this season and is undefeated over his last eight outings. He is 5-0 in that span and the Rays won each of the first seven games of that run before dropping a 3-2 decision to the Orioles on Wednesday.
The 24-year-old righty yielded two runs and struck out six over just 4 2/3 innings of a no-decision.
Cobb faced Boston for the first time in his career on May 25 and earned a win, giving up one earned run in five innings of work.
While the Rays are still fighting for a playoff spot, the Red Sox are looking to avoid their first last-place finish in the division since 1992.
Boston fell a game behind Toronto for that spot with a 5-0 loss to the Blue Jays on Sunday. The loss gave the Red Sox a 66-81 record on the season, securing their first non-winning campaign since a 78-84 finish in 1997.
Jon Lester allowed three runs over seven innings and struck out seven in Sunday's loss, which denied Boston a three-game sweep.
"I have to keep looking at the positives and keep plugging away," Lester said.
There haven't been many positives as of late for Aaron Cook, who tries to avoid a sixth straight losing decision tonight for Boston.
Cook has lost nine of his last 10 decisions and has a 6.00 ERA over his current winless drought, which spans six starts. The righty hasn't won since Aug. 6 and pitched five-plus innings versus the Yankees on Wednesday, yielding three runs on seven hits and two homers.
The righty is 3-10 with a 5.18 ERA in 15 starts this season and 1-1 with a 6.63 ERA in three lifetime encounters with the Rays. Tonight will mark the first time this season that the 33-year-old Cook will face the club.
Boston is 7-5 versus Tampa Bay this season.
- BOSTON: 5
TAMPA BAY: 2
Final
Sep 17 10:23 PM - Ben Zobrist ground out short to first scored B.J. Upton. None on with one out and Matt Joyce due up.
Red Sox 5, Rays 2 Bot 9, 1 OutSep 17 10:20 PM - Brandon Gomes enters the game for the Rays with the bases loaded and one out.
Red Sox 5, Rays 1 Top 7, 1 OutSep 17 9:26 PM - Jacoby Ellsbury two-out, two-run Home Run (4) to right scored Jose Iglesias. Dustin Pedroia due up.
Red Sox 2, Rays 1 Top 6, 2 OutsSep 17 8:46 PM - Ryan Roberts grounded into a fielder's choice to first scored Luke Scott. On the play, Carlos Pena advances to second. Runners on first and second with one out and Jose Molina due up.
Red Sox 0, Rays 1 Bot 5, 1 OutSep 17 8:29 PM - BOSTON: 0
TAMPA BAY: 0
Top 1, 0 Outs
Sep 17 7:12 PM
Related News
- OTM Open Thread 12/25: It is Monday Dec 25
- OTM Open Thread 12/23: It is Saturday Dec 23
- OTM Open Thread 12/22: It is Friday Dec 22
- From Roman Gladiators to Red Sox, We’re Still Here Dec 22
- Smash Or Pass: Any One Of The Mariners’ Young Starting Pitchers Dec 21
- OTM Open Thread 12/21: It is Thursday Dec 21
- The Only Card The Red Sox Can Afford To Play Next Is An Ace Dec 20
- Red Sox News & Links: Yamamoto Snubs Boston (The City, Not Necessarily The Team) Dec 20
- 2023 In Review: Kutter Crawford Can Get Even Better Dec 20
- OTM Open Thread 12/20: It is Wednesday Dec 20
- On Losing Tyler Glasnow Dec 20
- What can we learn from Tyler Glasnow’s contract extension with the Dodgers? Dec 19