Sox: 2 Rays: 0
How about this, a close game at The Trop won by the Red Sox! Too often in the regular season, those close games went the Rays' way. Tonight, thanks to 7+ shutout innings by Dice-K and 2 by the 'pen, the nailbiter went in favor of the Sox.
The first inning had me thinking this will be a typical 5-inning affair for The Diceman. He loaded the bases via the walk, then Houdinied his way out as only he can. However, after that 30+ pitch inning, it was as if Jon Lester was pitching from within Dice-K's body. Or, perhaps, it was Dice-K indeed, pretending he was pitching to the White Sox (against whom he threw two gems this year). He took a no-hitter through the sixth, gave up two hits apiece in the seventh and eighth, and not a single Ray managed to cross the plate. Oki, Masterson, and Paps combined to preserve the shutout.
For the Sox bats, runs were not easy to come by. It turned out, all they needed was one and they ended up with two. The first came in the fifth on a sac fly by Jed Lowrie. Bay had walked to lead off the inning. Kotsay's check-swing double put Bay at third and Lowrie did what he does best, lifted the ball into the outfield to bring Bay home. The second run came in the eighth, on Youk's third hit of the night. Youk plated Pedey, who singled, then stole second. They got the better of the Rays' tough bullpen and grabbed a win that will shift the home field advantage into their favor.
Game 2 tomorrow night, Beckett's on the mound against Kazmir. If Beckett bounces back from his tough ALDS outing, the Rays will have their work cut out for them.
LET'S GO RED SOX!!!!!
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