Tim Wakefield pitched 6 innings of one run ball en route to helping the Boston Red Sox (63-40) win 7-1 against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
Wakefield improved his record at Tropicana Field to 8-0 and his lifetime record to 17-2 against the Devil Rays, but the win was aided by a shaky Devil Rays bullpen and a Kevin Youkils three-run homerun.
Rays starting pitcher Jason Hammels was throwing one hit ball through 5 1/3 innings, but had to be taken out of the game because he was on a pitch count. Leaving two runners on base in the sixth with a 1-0 lead proved to be costly as the Rays bullpen quickly gave up the lead. They gave up the lead so quickly it only took one at-bat.
Youkilis ended his 0-11 drought (0-9 coming into the game) ripping a three-run homerun off of reliever Juan Salas into left field giving Boston their first lead at 3-1 and the Sox added four more in the eighth to clinch the 7-1 win. Hammel was charged with two of the runs wrapping up his night with two walks, four strikeouts, and two earned runs.
J.D. Drew started the scoring in the eighth with an RBI single to right field, Coco Crisp followed with an RBI double, and Doug Mirabelli knocked in the last run on an RBI single giving Boston a 7-1 lead.
Manny Delcarmen pitched well in relief lasting 2 innings, only giving up one hit, walking none, and struck out two Devil Rays.
Julio Lugo’s 15 game hit streak was snapped as he was 0-4 in the ball game. The 15 game hitting streak was the longest of his career.
The lone run scored off of Wakefield was in the bottom of the second as Dioner Navarro had an RBI single that scored Ty Wigginton.
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