The Red Sox headed to the Trop with a 2-0 lead in the ALDS series and hoped to sweep the Rays out of the playoffs. The Sox had Clay Buchholz on the mound vs. Alex Cobb for the Rays. Clay got out to an early lead, but a 3 run HR from Longoria would pull the game even. The game ended up being a battle of the bullpens and shockingly the game was lost when usually locked down Uehara gave up the walk off HR to the Rays.
The Sox got on the scoreboard early when Ellsbury got on and then scored by way of a throwing error from Zobrist. Sox 1-0. Buchholz was able to keep the Rays off the board even though it wasn't his sharpest outing. Buchholz ended up having the bases loaded in the 4th, but was able to get out of it without any damage. In the 5th the Sox were able to add a couple more runs when Ellsbury scored on a wild pitch and then Ortiz hit an RBI single to left. Sox 3-0. Clay took to the mound in the 5th and this time he found trouble he couldn't get out of. With 2 men on, Buchholz pitched to Longoria even though 1st base was open. Longo made him pay by hitting a 3 run HR to tie the game. Sox 3-3. Buchholz got out of the inning without giving up the go ahead run, but the damage was done. Buchholz came back out and pitched a scoreless 6th inning and was done for the night. Cobb was also out of the game, so the rest of the game would be a battle of the bullpens.
Craig Breslow came out in the 7th in relief of Buchholz. Breslow got one out, but when he gave up a single he was pulled in favor of Tazawa. Taz got the 2 outs to get out of the inning. In the 8th, Franklin Morales came out for the Sox. Morales gave a walk to Loney and then a bunt single to Morales where no one was covering the bag. Ugh. Morales was done and Brandon Workman was in the game. Workman got what could have been a double play ball, but Pedroia collided with Drew and everyone was safe. Delmon Young hit a sac grounder to first and Napoli took the out at 1st instead of going home. Sox 3-4. That inning was chuck full of fail. In the 9th, Rays closer Fernando Rodney took to the mound. Rodney let the Sox get back in the game and the Sox tied the game when Pedey hit a sac grounder to score Bogaerts who was pinch running for Middlebrooks. Sox 4-4. The Sox would hand the ball to Koji Uehara in the bottom of the 9th in hopes of heading to extra innings. Koji got 2 quick outs and everyone was talking about how many innings he might be able to pitch. Unfortunately the answer would be less than an inning when Uehara gave up a solo HR to Lobaton and the Rays won it walk off style.
Sox still lead the series 2-1 and will take on the Rays again at the Trop tomorrow night.
Red Sox 4 Rays 5 BOXSCORE
WP: Rodney (1-0) LP: Uehara (0-1)
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
