After a six inning pitchers duel between Daisuke Matsuzaka and Scott Kazmir left the score 0-0 the guys with bats decided to start talking in the seventh inning. With Kazmir having been removed after six innings, Matsuzaka soldiered on into the seventh with his pitch count at 100.
With one out Dionner Navarro would break the scoreless tie with a solo homerun, Josh Wilson followed with a single to chase Matsuzaka for Manny Delcarmen. Delcarmen would get an out on a fielders choice and then give up a single to Brendan Harris and BJ Upton would make him pay by hitting a three run homerun into the leftfield seats to make it 4-0 Rays. Boston native Carlos Pena would follow with a solo shot, his 25th, and the Rays had jumped on the Boston bullpen and grabbed a late 5-0 lead.
The Sox would scrap back with a pair of runs in the eighth on back-to-back solo homeruns by Manny Ramirez and Kevin Youkilis to cut the score to the final deficit of 5-2.
Matsuzaka took the loss he drops to 12-8 and Gary Glover got the win for Tampa improving to 4-3 on the year. The Sox went 5-2 on the seven game trip and after an off day on Monday they return to action at Fenway Park on Tuesday night against the Baltimore Orioles.
The announced starters for the short three game homestand with the O’s are:
Tuesday 7:05pm
Baltimore Eric Bedard (10-4; 3.05 ERA) at Boston Josh Beckett (13-4; 3.27 ERA)
Wednesday 7:05pm
Baltimore Steve Trachsel (5-7; 5.26 ERA) at Boston Kason Gabbard (4-0; 3.73 ERA)
Thursday 1:05pm
Baltimore Jeremy Guthrie (7-3; 2.89 ERA) at Boston Tim Wakefield
(12-9; 4.59 ERA)
