There has certainly been nothing wrong with the Boston starting pitching the last four games. After brilliant efforts in Baltimore by mound mates, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling, tonight was Tim Wakefield’s turn against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Fenway Park. Wakefield (14-10) was masterful all night as he pitched 8 shut out innings allowing only two hits, two walks, while striking out 6 to lead the Red Sox to a 3-0 win.
With Devil Ray slayer Wakefield on the mound it was the perfect night to jump out to a lead and that the Red Sox did. Julio Lugo got things started when he lined a 3-2 pitch up the middle and off the shoulder or upper right arm of Tampa starter James Shields. The ball deflected into shallow rightfield for a single. After a few warm up tosses Shields stayed in the game as able to get Kevin Youkilis to fly out to right for the first out. David Ortiz gave the home town team a 1-0 lead when he crushed a ball to dead centerfield that hit high off the wall at the 420-foot mark for a double. B.J. Upton made a nice bare handed stab on the ball off the wall and the Rays executed a great relay and would have had Lugo at the plate by a lot if Dioner Navarro held onto the ball. Manny Ramirez grounded out to Brendan Harris at short moving Ortiz to third but J.D. Drew would ground out to Carlos Pena with Shields covering to end the inning.
Wakefield, who is 18-2 all-time against Tampa Bay, started out really strong against the Rays reeling in the first nine-in-a-row before he issued a lead off walk to Akinori Iwamura in the fourth. Wake worked around that walk, getting a pair of fly outs and an unassisted ground out to Youkilis to end the fourth.
Heading into the fifth Wakefield had thrown 49 pitches 37 for strikes and through five innings he absolutely continued to kill the Rays. He had set down the last six Tampa hitters, one courtesy of a gold glove stop by Mike Lowell, on a Harris smash down the 3rd base line for the second out of the fifth. Through five Wake was one batter over the minimum and retired 15 of 16 hitters.
Shields (9-8) battled too even though he allowed at least one hit through the first four innings he had given up only the one run. His change up was devastating and he had 5 whiffs through five innings with a few coming off of the change. He struck out 3 straight to end the fourth and start the fifth before Youkilis grounded out to short. He had set down the last five Sox hitters and it was the first inning he didn’t allow a hit.
After striking out Josh Wilson to start the sixth, Wakefield gave up his second free pass this one to Navarro and it ended a streak of 7 Rays retired in a row. But, Doug Mirabelli erased Navarro when he tried to steal with Iwamura at bat. Iwamura would then fly out to 
Drew in center to end the sixth as Wakefield had retired 17 of 19 hitters he has faced.
Into the bottom of the sixth inning this officially became a pitchers duel. Shields and Ortiz battled in a 12-pitch at bat to lead off the sixth with Shields eventually getting the best of Ortiz as he flew out to Delmon Young in right. Ramirez then smoked a ball right at Harris at short for the second out and as Shields looked like he might be starting to tire Drew grounded out to Pena with the pitcher covering. It was the 8th consecutive Sox hitter Shields retired.
Carl Crawford, who hits Wakefield the best, broke up the no-hitter to lead off the 7th with a clean single to rightfield. Crawford then stole second, his 38th of the year, and seemed to have turned his ankle a bit on the slide into second but he stayed in the game. A very alert Wakefield, along with Alex Cora, almost picked Crawford off when he wandered off the bag ala Manny with his head down. Upton 
flew out to Ramirez for the first out, Pena flew out to Drew in center and that moved Crawford to third with two outs. With Young at the dish, Mirabelli made a nice backhanded stop of a knuckleball to keep Crawford and the trying run at third. Wakefield then got his 6th strikeout of the game to get Young ending the inning and leaving the tying run at third.
The Sox, looking to pad the lead, got into the Rays bullpen in the 7th and after reliever Gary Glover got the first two hitters out Mirabelli ended the streak of 9-in-arow retired by Tampa pitchers with a walk. Eric Hinske followed with a free pass of his own to put two on with two out, Lugo followed with his third hit of the night, a single to center, that scored Mirabelli to give the Sox a 2-0 lead. Glover came back to whiff Youkilis to end the thought of any more runs.
Wakefield surrendered his second hit of the night in the second a one-out single by Jonny Gomes off the leftfield wall. But once again Wake was able to work out of it getting a pair of fly outs to end the 8th. Wakefield left to a nice ovation as the fans knew he was done for the night and he would turn the game over to closer Jonathan Papelbon for the ninth.
The Sox would tack on a run in the 8th, with one out Ramirez singled to center, Drew walked and Lowell’s second hit of the night, a one out single to center, brought home Ramirez to give the Sox a 3-0 lead. It was Lowell’s 78th RBI of the year, tying him with Ramirez for the team lead. With the runners on the move, Cora grounded out to Pena with Balfour covering for the second out. Balfour struck out Mirabelli for the second time on the night to end the threat of any more runs.
Papelbon would have to face the top of the Rays batting order to earn his 28th save in 30 chances on the year. All Papelbon was feeding the Rays was cheese as Iwamura, would chase a high 1-2 fastball to strike out for the first out, Crawford was blown away on a 97mph fast ball for the second out. Upton who worked the count to full was able to walk and he advanced to second on defensive indifference. Pena grounded out to Cora to end the game.
It was the Red Sox 10th shutout of the season, tying them with the Mariners for most in the American League. It was a huge win seeing as they have to face Scott Kazmir tomorrow. Game time is 7:05 p.m.
Notes and Musings:
After being hit in the first inning, Shields had to dance out of the way of Cora’s second inning single as it almost hit him in the leg.
Coco Crisp missed the game due to illness. NESN’s Tina Cervasio also was out sick. Dustin Pedroia was given the day off and Cora played in his spot.
With his fourth inning single, Lowell has now hit in 11 of his last 12 games.
Drew has hit in 6 of his last 7 games. He has 11 RBI in his last 20 games. He is hitting .433 in August. His last HR was June 20th at Atlanta.
The Rays are 3-5 on their ten game road trip, which ends with this series. They arrived in Boston at about 5:30 a.m. after losing Sunday in Texas.
After tonight’s game, these teams play 11 more times this season. Including eight times in the next 29 games.
The Rays are last in fielding in the AL with a .978 fielding percentage. They have made 94 errors.
The Rays are the American League’s youngest team (average age 27.58) only the Florida Marlins are younger (27.37). I always thought Florida was were old people went, but I guess it’s the home of two of baseball’s stingiest owners.
The Rays starters tonight and tomorrow, Shields and Scott Kazmir, have the second most strikeouts by teammates with 308. Only Baltimore’s Daniel Cabrera and Eric Bedard have combined for more with 327.
Coming into tonight’s game the Red Sox are hitting .291 with 26 HRs and 168 runs scored since the all-star break.
With one more triple Tampa’s Carl Crawford will have 60 over a four year span becoming only the 3rd major leaguer to do it joining Lance Johnson and Stan Musial. He needs to get out of Tampa and go somewhere he can be recognized as a star.
James Shields leads the AL in HRs allowed with 25 coming into tonight.
Former Sox pitcher Casey Fossum was released by Tampa on Friday.
Don’t forget about the NESN/WEEI Jimmy Fund Tele-Radiothon all day on Friday. If you’re able, make a donation your money will go to a great cause.
Despite speculation there has been no official word on the rumored major league debut of hard throwing righty Clay Buchholz during Friday’s day-night twin bill against the Angels. Buchholz leads the minor leagues in strikeouts with 164. He whiffed 9 last night in Syracuse while throwing only 80 pitches.
Manny Ramirez has 33 RBI since the break, it’s the second most in MLB in that time.
NESN is now available on Comcast in Waterbury CT on Channel 67. Their first game was tonight. They also offer NESN HD on Channel 773. I always thought Waterbury was Yankee country.
The Yankees are 24-8 since the break and have 56 HRs in that time span.
Angels outfielder Gary Matthews Jr. went off on Sox fans in a group interview saying they’re “rowdy, drunk and obnoxious”. He added, “New York fans have more couth and class” then Sox fans. Don’t forget that Matthews is here for four games this weekend.
On another note, Orioles broadcaster Joe Angel referred to Fenway Park as a toilet yesterday during the MASN telecast.
Despite our notions of a perceived swoon, the Sox still have the best record in baseball.
Tuesday’s game will pit Scott Kazmir against Jon Lester. It is Lester’s first Fenway start since his return from cancer.
