Flop At The Trop by Jared Carrabis
Vintage Beckett Didn't Phase The Rays

For the second time in a week, the Red Sox were in position to reclaim first place over the Tampa Bay Rays. This time Boston had hoped for different results but was fed more of the same. Give all the credit in the world to the Tampa Bay Rays, this team can hang with the big boys, but after getting an outing to the extent that Josh Beckett turned in on Tuesday night this was a game that the Red Sox could have won. The resilient Tampa Bay Rays gave the Red Sox a battle all night long to the point where they looked like an entirely different team that Boston had faced the night before when the Sox pounded the Rays into the ground, 13-5.


The Boston ace was in true October form in the second game of this series and was dealing from the first inning on. Josh Beckett retired the first thirteen batters out of the gate before giving up a single to Cliff Floyd but still no damage had been done. The Red Sox gave Beckett a run to work with in the top of the sixth when Kevin Youkilis hit a sacrifice fly to left scoring Jacoby Ellsbury from third.


The one run would be all the Boston offense could muster against Rays starter Andy Sonnanstine who pitched six solid innings giving up just the one run giving up three hits and striking out five. The Red Sox offense lost a little bit of boost with Jason Bay being back home in Boston by his wife’s side when she gave birth to a baby girl.


With Josh Beckett cruising along into the bottom of the seventh inning, Carlos Pena came to the plate and on the first pitch he saw he launched his twenty-ninth home run of the season on a curveball that Josh Beckett left up high. “I was throwing strikes with all my pitches, it’s unfortunate that one pitch can change a game like that” Beckett said after the game. With a low pitch count, Beckett came out for the eighth inning and retired the side to put up another scoreless frame. With his pitch count up to 95 pitches, some speculation was circling around whether or not Beckett would come out for the ninth.


When Justin Masterson came out for the bottom of the ninth to face the Rays, all questions were answered. When asked after the game if he felt strong enough to come out for the ninth inning Beckett responded by saying “I don’t get paid to make those decisions. It is what it is.” We read you loud and clear Mr. Beckett. Having made just his third start since coming off of the disabled list, manager Terry Francona was playing it safe by not taxing his game one starter in the playoff rotation. “Under normal circumstances he could definitely go out and throw another inning” Francona told reporters.


Josh Beckett finished the night throwing a gem. Eight lights out innings of work with just the one blemish on his outing being the solo home run to Carlos Pena. Just three hits and one walk on Beckett’s line to go along with seven strikeouts.


In the bottom of the ninth inning, the Tampa Bay Rays staged another heartbreaking comeback against the Red Sox by loading the bases with one out. Masterson didn’t get the groundball double play that he was looking for to end the inning, rather he threw a 93 MPH fastball to Rays catcher Dioner Navarro only to see the pitch sent into center field to end the game.


As if the loss itself wasn’t enough to sour Red Sox fans, Tuesday night saw Mike Lowell in a great deal of pain as he grinded out this game with a torn labrum in his hip. On a groundball down the third baseline, Lowell bent over to field the ball and recorded the out but in the process came up limping and was visibly experiencing sharp pain in his hip. The torn labrum reared it’s ugly head once again later in the game when Lowell checked his swing and once again grimaced after holding up. “We’re concerned but we’ll continue to monitor him. He’ll grind it out” manager Terry Francona said after the game. “If he feels like I’m hurting the team then I don’t want to be hurting the team. I feel like I can get to balls even though it may not be pretty.” Mike Lowell added from the Red Sox locker room.


The Red Sox have already been playing short handed in their offense in the absence of JD Drew from the lineup who is expected to return this weekend from back spasms. “I had a pretty sore day Saturday, but Sunday seemed to feel pretty good. I hate to jump the gun on anything, but I'm going to try to hit in the cage in a little bit. I went out and shagged some fly balls and felt pretty good. It doesn't seem to be as bad, so we'll see how it goes” said JD Drew.


In other news, the Red Sox have reportedly extended the contract of general manager Theo Epstein. The terms of the deal of not yet been released but the team is expected to make an official announcement in the near future.


The Red Sox hand the ball to Tim Wakefield in the series finale looking to leave the Trop in a tie for the lead in the American League East. In his last outing, Tim Wakefield hurled eight shutout innings allowing just three hits in his start. Wakefield will be looking to duplicate his previous start against the Jays in a crucial start in this division race with just eleven games remaining in the regular season.

Final Score: Red Sox 1, Rays 2

Published on September 16, 2008

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