For the second night in Tampa the Sox had trouble bringing runners across the plate. Manny is slumping and J.D. is not really a guy you can build a lineup around. Wakefield pitched well but so did Garza for the Rays. The Sox did not have many scoring opportunities and when they did they did not come through; Mike Lowell grounded out to short in the eight with bases loaded to end the inning. Boston is now 2 1/2 games out of first and the lineup is badly in need of a spark. If Ortiz can come back at 90% or better the Sox will be fine but if he can’t return it will be difficult to win the division. The Red Sox need to leave Tampa with a win before heading to the Big Apple to face the Evil Empire.
Sox Lose 3-1 BOX SCORE
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