Wednesday, September 17, 2008 – On Tuesday, the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays met in the second of their three game series being held at Tropicana Field. The Red Sox, who had won the first meeting to tie for the lead in the American League East.
If they could have won on Tuesday, they’d have gone a game ahead.
Instead, it was a tense affair right until the very end. The Red Sox manufactured a run in the top half of the sixth inning - Jacoby Ellsbury beating out an infield single, getting to second thanks to an error on a ball hit by Pedroia, moving to third on a groundout by David Ortiz, and then getting home on a sac fly by Kevin Youkilis.
The Rays scored their run in a much easier fashion, in the bottom of the seventh, when Carlos Pena hit a home run off Josh Beckett.
Then, in the bottom of the ninth inning, Justin Masterson loaded the bases, and catcher Dioner Navarro made him pay with a single that plated the winning run.
Andy Sonnanstine went six good innings for the Rays, then was picked up by Grant Balfour, J. P. Howell and finally Dan Wheeler, who got the win.
The Sox and Rays meet for a final time tonight in the regular season, and once again each team controls its destiny. The Sox can tie for the lead again, or they can fall two games back.
Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield (9-10) goes for the Red Sox, while Matt Garza (11-9) takes the mound for the Rays.
