The Red Sox’ long-awaited taste of first place in the AL East lasted a single day as the Rays won, 2-1, last night at Tropicana Field to go back up by a game.
Dioner Navarro’s walkoff RBI single off of reliever Justin Masterson in a weird ninth inning ruined an otherwise great night for Josh Beckett. The Sox starter pitched eight strong innings, allowing just one run in the seventh, when Carlos Pena flicked an opposite-field home run over the left field fence to tie the game. Tampa Bay starter Andy Sonnanstine pitched six strong innings himself, allowing just one unearned run and three hits as the starters squared off against each other again for the second time in a row.
A victory tonight in the series finale would mean moving back into a share of the AL East lead for the Sox. A win also would even the season series, which the Rays lead 9-8. Of the Red Sox’ seven losses at the Trop this season, five have been by a single run. Maybe it was just the calendar, but this one seemed to hurt a little more than the others.
A Kevin Youlkilis sacrifice fly put the Sox up 1-0 in the sixth inning. But that is where the offensive production began and ended against Sonnanstine and three relievers. The ninth inning was a case study in bad breaks for Masterson (6-5). Jason Bartlett blooped a single, then Pena worked a walk. During Pena’s plate appearance, he swung violently and missed at a second strike but time had been granted before Masterson’s delivery because a pitch by the warming-up Hideki Okajima in the visitors bullpen area down the left field line got away from the catcher and rolled onto the field. The strike was taken off the books and Pena worked the walk. Masterson did strike out Evan Longoria, but then hit Cliff Floyd on the back foot with a pitch to load the bases, setting up Navarro for hero duties.
Beckett’s performance was awfully encouraging, with October baseball around the corner. Most nights, such efforts will translate into a victory for the Red Sox but they seldom play against teams with pitching staffs of the Rays’ caliber. The teams will play their season finale tonight, with Tim Wakefield squaring off against Rays starter Matt Garza.
Nation Notes: Injured right fielder J.D. Drew returned yesterday after attending funeral services for his grandmother, but when he returns to the lineup from the herniated disk in his back remains to be seen. Drew is “very hopeful” to return against Toronto. Jason Bay was out of the lineup last night, as he returned to Boston to be with his wife, who gave birth to a daughter, Evelyn Jane. The Sox plan to have Bay rejoin them in Toronto. Jacoby Ellsbury has played 163 games in his major league career and has yet to commit an error. Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino holds the record for consecutive games to begin a career without an error at 176.
