August 21, 2007
...
The Devil Rays, who are doing their part to facilitate Boston's first
division title since 1995, for the ninth time in 11 meetings this
season let the Sox not only took the measure of them by an 8-6 count.
They also walked out of Tropicana Field with at least a five-game
lead over the Yankees, knowing that they'll play the Devil Rays seven
more times between now and the start of the playoffs.
The Sox'
seemingly inexhaustible supply of ways to beat the division doormats featured
David Ortiz hitting a triple and beating out an infield hit in successive
at-bats. The triple, to left-center, was the first of the season for Big Papi
and drove in the first two runs. The infield roller between the mound and the
third-base line jump-started a five-run fourth inning against Andy Sonnanstine,
the Devil Rays rookie who only last week had held the Sox to two hits through
six innings, despite his 6-plus ERA
The last
four outs were recorded by Jonathan Papelbon, who became the first Sox reliever
to record 30 saves in two different seasons. Papelbon entered with one on and
two out in the eighth and struck out Jonny Gomes. For those scoring at home,
that's at least one whiff in 19 of his last 20 games and then they finished off
the D-Rays in the ninth, striking out Josh Wilson and Dioner Navarro before
Akinori Iwamura popped to short to end it.
Papelbon
says he threw one "slutter”, the first pitch to Gomes, which the Devil Ray DH
swung through, although let the record show that Papelbon's claim that he
deserves a patent for the pitch had at least one teammate rolling his eyes in
disbelief.
The evening
was not without some anxiety for the Sox. Starter Jon Lester walked B.J. Upton
with two outs in the first, then gave up a home run to Carlos Pena, the former
Northeastern star who set a career high with his 28th home run. Another long
ball, this one a three-run home run by Iwamura in the fifth, drew the Devil Rays
within two runs, 7-5. Carl Crawford followed with a base hit, but Lester struck
out B.J. Upton to end the inning. Francona sent out Lester to start the sixth,
but when he walked Delmon Young with one out, Francona went to his bullpen. With
one pitch, Manny Delcarmen retired the side, Brendan Harris grounding into a
double play started by third baseman Mike Lowell.
The Sox
added an unearned run in the seventh when Dustin Pedroia doubled, took third
when Kevin Youkilis lined to right, and scored on a two-out error by D-Rays
shortstop Josh Wilson. The D-Rays answered with an unearned run of their own in
the home seventh. With one out, Delcarmen hit Wilson with a pitch. Dioner
Navarro tapped to first, but Delcarmen walked Iwamura, which brought Francona
out to summon Hideki Okajima. Crawford hit a low liner to Pedroia, who had the
ball carom off his glove for only his third error in 97 games. Wilson scored and
Iwamura made it to third, but Okajima remained composed and struck out Upton to
end the inning.
Okajima
walked Pena to start the eighth, then blanched when Young launched a drive deep
to left-center, which made for a long run for Crisp, but as usual, he caught up
with it on the track and made the catch. Okajima struck out Harris for the
second out, and then the bullpen door opened. With Pena aboard on a walk and two
out in the eighth, it was time for Papelbon. Lights out for the D-Rays.
The Sox, as
expected, acquired first baseman Chris Carter from the Nationals as the player
to be named later in the Wily Mo Pena deal. The Nationals sent a minor league
pitcher, Emiliano Fruto, to Arizona for Carter, who was assigned to Boston's
Pawtucket roster. Carter, a 17th-round draft pick out of Stanford in 2004, is
regarded for his bat. He was hitting .324 with 18 home runs and 84 RBIs in 126
games for Tucson, Arizona's Triple A affiliate.
