The Boston Red Sox entered tonight’s game at Tropicana Field winless in 6 games this season. That all changed early on as they took advantage of an ineffective Scott Kazmir and pounded the Rays 13-5 in front of 29,772. The win for the Red Sox moves them into a tie for 1st place with the Rays.
It is the first time the Red Sox have been in first place since July 17th, a span of 60 days. The win also gives the Red Sox and Rays a 7 game lead in the wild card standings over the Twins. The Red Sox magic number for a playoff spot is now at 6 games.
The story of the game was the long ball with both teams combining for 9 home runs (6 for the Red Sox, 3 for the Rays). Six different players for the Red Sox hit home runs. They were David Ortiz, Mike Lowell, Jason Varitek, Kevin Youkilis, Jason Bay and Jacoby Ellsbury.
Ortiz had 2 hits with 4 RBI, Youk had 2 hits and 3 RBI and Ellsbury had 2 hits and 1 RBI. The only member of the starting 9 without a hit was Jed Lowrie, although he reached base 3 times via the walk as did Coco Crisp.
Daisuke Matsuzaka picked his 17th win of the season, which is most for a Japanese-born pitcher in MLB.
Daisuke Matsuzaka started for the Red Sox tonight and was his usual effectively wild self. He threw 101 pitches in 5 innings of work, allowing 1 run on 3 hits and 4 walks while striking out 7 to pick up his 17th win of the season. The 17 wins in a season are the most for a Japanese-born pitcher in MLB.
Chris Smith worked 2 innings, giving up 4 runs on 4 hits with 3 strikeouts. Mike Timlin and David Pauley each went an inning allowing a walk each while Pauley also had a strikeout.
Either something was wrong with Kazmir tonight or he was just that bad.
The first 9 pitches he threw were balls which included walks to Coco and Dustin Pedroia. His 11th pitch of the game was jacked out of the park by Big Papi for a 3-run homer to put the visiting nine up 3-0. After a Youkilis fly out, Lowell took the 15th pitch from Kazmir and smoked a home run to left for a 4-0 lead. Kazmir then got Bay to strike out and Lowrie to fly out but the damage had been done.
Kazmir hit Varitek to start the 2nd inning and warnings were issued to both teams. Kazmir actually settled in though and didn’t give up any runs in the 2nd and 3rd innings.
The Rays got their first run of the night in the 3rd inning when Akinori Iwamura hit a line drive home run to left field to cut the lead to 4-1.
The 4th inning is probably one the Kazmir and the Rays would like to delete from their memory banks.
Bay led off the inning with a monstrous blast that never came down because it had hit the third catwalk. Kazmir then walked Lowrie and Varitek followed with a no-doubt 2-run homer to put the Red Sox up 7-1. Ellsbury hit a grounder to first and he beat Kazmir to first base for an infield single. Coco then laced a double to deep center to chase Kazmir from the game.
Kevin Youkilis watches his 2-run homer in the 5th inning.
Mitch Talbot made his MLB debut for the Rays and was greeted by a Pedroia RBI single scoring Ellsbury. The Rays finally got the first out of the inning when Big Papi grounded into a fielder’s choice that scored Coco and saw Pedroia out at second. Youk then joined his teammates with a home run as he hit a 2-run blast to push the lead to 11-1. Talbot finally got out of the inning when Lowell grounded out and Bay struck out.
Ellsbury said if they can do it so can I as he hit a 2-out home run to make it 12-1 in the 5th inning.
Big Papi led off the 6th with a double and was replaced by Chris Carter. He came into score as Youk had a double of his own to make it 13-1.
The Rays got their final 4 runs in the 6th with a 2-run home run by Justin Ruggiano and in the 7th on Dan Johnson’s 2-run homer.
Forget about what happened tonight because I doubt you’ll see this again tomorrow night from the Rays. We all know they are a good team and maybe the pressure is getting to them. Whatever the case may be, I expect their playoff-tested veterans to right the ship and give the Red Sox a better game tomorrow night. Josh Beckett will toe the rubber for the Red Sox and Andy Sonnanstine for the Rays.
Notes and musings:
Red Sox @ Rays 9.15.08 boxscore
Tampa Bay Lightning head coach and former ESPN NHL analyst Barry Melrose threw out the ceremonial first pitch tonight.
Dustin Pedroia leads the majors with 200 hits and 50 doubles and is 2nd with 113 runs, 2 behind Florida’s Hanley Ramirez. On only 3 occasions since 1900 has a player led the majors in runs, hits, and doubles in the same year: Cleveland’s Nap Lajoie in 1901 (145/229/48); Detroit’s Ty Cobb in 1911 (148/248/47); and Cincinnati’s Pete Rose in 1976 (130/215/42). Rose tied George Brett for the lead with 215 hits.
He is just the 3rd Red Sox player ever with 200 hits and 50 doubles in one season, joining Tris Speaker (222 hits/53 doubles) in 1912 and Wade Boggs (205 hits/51 doubles) in 1989.
Jacoby Ellsbury has gone 128 games and 313 total chances without an error this season, the 2nd most chances in the A.L. without a miscue to Torii Hunter (331). It is a club record for consecutive errorless chances by an OF in one season, surpassing the 307 for Johnny Damon, April 1-August 31, 2002.
Jonathan Papelbon earned his career-high 38th save on Sunday, 2nd in the A.L. and the 5th most in team history. Has 38 saves in 43 tries overall this season, converting 17 of last 18.
Jason Varitek’s home run tonight was his 158th as a Red Sox catcher which passes Carlton Fisk at 157 for the most all-time for a Red Sox catcher.
David Ortiz’s home run was his 244th as a DH, which is good for second all-time behind Frank Thomas’ 269.
The 6 home runs was the most in game for the Red Sox since the August 3rd, 2003.
With his appearance tonight, Mike Timlin has now appeared in 1,051 games as a right-handed reliever which is most all-time in MLB.
Sox on streaks:
Jacoby Ellsbury has a 7-game hitting streak
Sean Casey has a 5-game hitting streak
Jason Bay has a 3-game hitting streak
David Ortiz has a 3-game hitting streak
Kevin Youkilis has a 3-game hitting streak
Chris Carter saw his 3-game hitting streak end
