So, we started the series with the Rays with them just 4 games back in the wild card race and facing a 4 game series against them. So, it’s do or die time, eh? The Sox were sending Pawtucket pitcher Kyle Weiland to the mound against the Rays Hellickson. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t feeling confident about this game going in…and I was right about my level of confidence.
Weiland was doing great in his first two innings. He put down all 6 Rays in order. However, then he found some bad luck and trouble in the 3rd inning. With 2 outs, BJ Upton got a broken bat hit that went by Marco Scutaro. It mainly went by Scoot because the bat was also headed right towards him. A run score. Unfortunately, that was followed by a 3 run HR from Evan Longoria. Rays lead 4-0. The Sox got one run back in the bottom of the 3rd when Gonzalez hit a sac grounder to score Salty. Rays lead 4-1.
In the 4th, Weiland was pulled and replaced by Pawtucket’s Trever Miller. He got out of the jam with the help of a great defensive play by Adrian Gonzalez to get Johnny Damon out at home. Scott Atchison pitched a scoreless 5th inning. Franklin Morales relieved Atchison in the 6th and ended up giving up a 2 run HR to the former Sox Casey Kotchman. Rays lead 6-1. In the 7th, Matt Albers took the mound. Albers has done nothing but struggle for the last month and change. He continued that pattern last night too. I’m at the point that I never wanna see Albers on the mound again. Albers walked the first batter he faced and then gave up a 2 run HR to BJ Upton. Rays led 8-1. Andrew Miller came out in relief of Albers and gave up a run on a Kotchman RBI single. Rays lead 9-1. This game was basically ughtastic. Miller pitched a scoreless 8th and Bowden pitched a scoreless 9th.
The Sox were able to get one run across the board in the 9th with a McDonald RBI single, but there was not a mammoth rally in their bones. The Sox bats just weren’t able to get much done against the Rays pitching. The Sox were only able to get 6 hits on the night. Interestingly, the Rays only got 9 hits themselves…however with those 9 hits they also scored 9 runs. They made their hits count. Also, it is clear that Kevin Youkilis is just hurting and hurting a lot. Tito has already said he will be out of the lineup on Friday and they will be careful with how he is used from here on out. Youk had trouble running to first each time he was up at the plate. While I appreciate Youk’s effort and wanting to be in the game, I’m not sure it is doing anyone any good.
The only good to be found in this game. Jose Iglesias got his first major league hit in the 9th inning when he was in the game for Scutaro. Congrats Jose!
Red Sox 2 Rays 9 BOXSCORE
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