July 5, Red Sox at Devil Rays Game Blog

First Inning - Red Sox at Devil Rays

Tim Corcoran is making the start for the Rays tonight. He's only tossed 15 1/3 innings with a 1.17 earned run average and a 2-0 record. They just called this kid up recently, as you might have guessed by his innings pitched.
First pitch at 7:15 p.m. eastern time, 3:15 a.m. Baghdad time. Second pitch hits Youkilis. He is an on-base machine, of course. That's his team-leading seventh time to be plunked.
Whoa...Corcoran's 0-1 pitch to Loretta almost hit him in the head! Of course, since this game is being played in St. Petersburg, FL at Tropicana Field in the dome, that annoying season-ticket holder of the Rays that always yells and heckles one batter in the line-up each game is howling away right now. Apparently, Loretta is tonight's target. Man, this guy never shuts up! Full count to Loretta and he pulls an inside fastball down the line where Carl Crawford hauls it in for the first out.
Here comes Big Papi, who homered last night to tie it at 3-3, but it was all for naught. First pitch is a 78 mph soft curveball that kind of just drops in there, but not like the 12/6 curveball that Casey Fossum throws, plus this guy is right-handed. 1-2 on Ortiz now. Just missed with another soft curve to even the count at 2-2 and misses outside with a fastball to run it full for the second straight hitter. Just misses outside with another fastball to put two on for Manny.
Last time Manny had two runners on was in the ninth last night and he blasted a 457-foot homer to straight-away center to pull the Sox to within 9-6. Manny's riding a five-game hitting streak, going 9-18 with three homers and 10 RBI during that span. He just scorched a line-drive just left of second base that Youkilis had to avoid being hit by, Julio Lugo, the Rays' shortstop plays it to his left, flips to Jorge Cantu at second, who fires to first for the double play to end the inning.

Jason Johnson on the mound for the Sox, not exactly Christmas in July with this guy on the hill for the hometown team. Starts Lugo off with a curveball for a strike. 1-2 count now and Lugo takes a Johnson offering and hits it right back up the box into center field for a single. Great, here we go again. Johnson is awful! At least 1 1/2 base runners per inning!
Here's Carl Crawford. I love this guy! Can hit for average, steals bases like he's auditioning for Ocean's 13 and plays left field extremely well. It's 0-2 on him, though as Johnson keeps Lugo close at first with a bunch of throws over. Orsillo was mentioning how the umpire was questioning Johnson about the insulin pump that he keeps on his belt on his backside. He's had that for a while, since he's been pitching in the pros, since he's diabetic. Awe, man. Tek calls for a pitchout and Johnson doesn't get the ball quite outside enough and Crawford swings and hits some of Tek's glove for catcher's interferece to award Crawford first base. First and second for the Pride of Rhode Island, Rocco Baldelli, who promptly singles up the middle to score Lugo for a 1-0 TB lead.
Fortunately, Johnson gets Aubrey Huff to ground to Loretta, who pivots to throw to Alex Cora at short, who throws to Youk for a twinkilling with Crawford moving to third with two outs and Mexian Cigar Store Indian Jorge Cantu hitting. Swing and a miss to run it to 3-2 on the count. This guy (as Troop would refer to him, he refers to every player as "this guy") led the Rays with a club-record 117 RBIs last year. He's no slouch, but Johnson just got him on a curveball for strike three!

This Coors Light Commercial is sooo stupid, when the girl thinks that he's going to ask her to marry him and he's just raving about the can liners. It's soo dumb!
Anyway, 1-0 after one in favor of the Fish or whatever they are.

Teams R H E
Sox 0 0 1
Rays 1 2 0

Second Inning - Red Sox at Devil Rays

Nixon leads it off with a high pop-up to left field that Lugo runs a mile for, camps under and puts away for the out. Here's Varitek. Tie game! Tek just went yard to right field! He's been horrible lately. He fanned four times on Monday and twice more last night and now he hits a blast from the left side. 1-1
Mike Lowell in the house now. He's not looked good at the plate, lately, kind of flailing and some pitches on the outer half of the plate, like he just did swinging at a curveball to get behind 0-1. Now, it's 2-2 and he flies to Baldelli in center field. *Promotion Alert* The Hot Stove/Cool Music: The Fenway Sessions promo just came on. I only mention it because James Taylor has just signed on to perform. Not too shabby for Theo and his friends.
Coco just popped up to third with two outs and Huffs squeezes for the out. On to the Rays' half of the second.

Johnny Gomes wastes no time in showing why Jason Johnson has no business pitching for the Sox as he ropes a double down the left field line.
I'm not sure how fair it is to dump on Johnson, because this Tampa line-up really can hit the ball. Here's Russell Branyan. You can usually count on one of two things from him. He either whiffs or hits a dinger, but since Johnson just bounced his curveball to make it 3-1, maybe walking becomes an option here. Well, hold the phone, swing and a miss. 3-2 count. My bad, Johnson bounces another one. Ball four. How do you walk, Russell Branyan!?
No outs, first and second and Ty "All I do is drive in runs" Wiggington is up. He has three homers in his last two games and it's 1-1 to him. Fouls it off for 1-2. Johnson has a chance. It's tedious to watch this guy pitch. 2-2 and he takes forever! That stinks. Line drive to Lowell at third right at the bag, looks to me like he intentionally dropped the ball so he could step on the bag and throw to second for a double play, except that the umpire knew what he was doing and called it an out on the catch. I love Lowell! Great fielder and smart. So, one out with runners on first and second.
Josh Paul just grounded to Johnson at the mound, but the runners were off with the pitch, so Johnson's only play is to first. Two outs, second and third with Lugo at the plate. 1-1 the count. Curveball in the dirt to even the count at 2-2. He's maddening! Just get the batter. Curveball down for ball three...ugh! Ball four to load the bases for Carl Crawford. I'm calling a three-run triple right here. Let's watch. Ball one, he's behind the hitter in a key situation already. Well, not a three-run triple, but a two-run line-drive single to center. Come on! 3-1 Rays.
Here comes Rocco with runners on first and third. Baldelli just hit a Baltimore chop (especially on this artificial turf) that bounced over the pitcher and Cora had no chance at short to do anything and Lugo just scored to make it 4-1. First and second. Check that, Crawford just stole third, first and third with Huff up. He just hit a laser to right on a 1-1 pitch, but Nixon takes two steps back and catches it just over his head with two hands. End of the inning. Thank goodness.

Teams R H E
Sox 1 1 1
Rays 4 5 0

Third Inning - Red Sox at Devil Rays

Cora leads it off and is down in the count, 1-2. Bounces a slow curve...that might be a change-up for 2-2. Cora hits from the left side here and drops one just in front of Baldelli in center for a hit. Here's Youk with no outs. A lot of empty seats here at the Trop tonight. Most of the area is already in bed after that late supper at 5 p.m., but you would think that some people would be able to go to these games. Corcoran must have Alex Cora confused with Alex Cole, who stole like 50 bases for Cleveland in the late 90s, because he refuses to throw to the plate in lieu of throwing to first base to keep him close. 2-1 count on Youk. Youk is like the right-handed Phil Plantier, except that he's not quite low enough in his crouch to sit on a toilet, but he's close. 3-1 and Youk just hit a high fly ball to left and it hit the catwalk in the pinball machine that they call a ballpark and Crawford just caught the ball off the ricochet and it counts as an out! What is this whiffleball?! This is so stupid.
Here's Loretta and now we're treated to the loud-mouth fan again. He's like listening to some old-time radio character just going on and on and on...Loretta grounds it foul of third base to get behind 1-2. Loretta just took an "excuse me" swing on the curveball, basically the ball hit his bat, and Huff charges and fields and makes the throw on the run for the out as Cora goes to second with two outs and here's Ortiz. 0-2 count to Big Papi. Tough inside pitch as Ortiz swings right through it for strike three. Rays coming up.

Johnson starts Cantu off with a ball, but follows with a curveball to even it. No matter, Cantu smokes a fast ball between Lowell and Cora for a single to left.
Here's Johnny...Gomes. Takes a high fastball for a strike and then breaks his bat fouling one off the right for an 0-2 count. This guy strikes out a lot. Hmmm..not really sure what happened, but while Gomes was putting some tar on his bat, the ump was saying something to him and Gomes was saying something. Called strike three and Gomes just said something and flipped the home plate umpire off and the ump just gleefully tossed him out of the game. One out.
Branyan, the other half of the "swing and a miss" duo is up. 1-1 the count after Branyan just missed a catwalk with a foul ball on the first pitch. 2-1 now. Curveball down and Tek has to move for it and it's 3-1. He's horrible! Where's Kyle Snyder. Hell, where's Snider from One Day at a Time?! He walks him. First and second, one out.
1-1 count on Ty Wiggington. 3-1 count. Come oooon. Ty has played about five positions this year for the Rays. I actually caught his only start in left field at Fenway this year and he made two errors. Foul ball and a full count. Ball four as the runners were on the move and the bases are loaded with Josh Paul up.
Johnson starts with a strike. 67 pitches and he only has seven outs in this game. 0-2. All of Red Sox nation pleads for a double play. Well, he got the strike out on a nasty curveball.
Julio Lugo, so Johnson is not out of the woods yet. He lines to Nixon in right to end the inning. Whew.

Teams R H E
Sox 1 2 1
Rays 4 6 0

Fourth Inning - Red Sox at Devil Rays

*AFLAC Trivia Question* Which two players hold the Rays' single-season home run record? I'm guessing Johnny Gomes and Fred McGriff.
Manny leads it off and pops up high behind the plate and Josh Paul catches it in foul ground for out number one.
Trot Nixon up with a 2-0 count, but fouls it off. Nixon drives the ball to center, where Baldelli takes it for the out. Jason Varitek still swinging a hot bat lines one off Corcoran on the mound, unfortunately it takes a detour from center field and goes to Lugo at short, who throws out the Captain to end the Sox half of the inning.

Well, I was wrong. Jose Canseco and Aubrey Huff each hit 34 homers to establish the club record.
Crawford sends a Johnson curveball up the middle for a lead-off single. Here's Baldelli, who already has two hits. 0-2 count after two foul balls. This at-bat was in danger of lasting for 10 minutes, until Baldelli fouled a 2-2 pitch to foul ground, but Youk scampered over to grab it for the out. One out as Huff stands in and Remy has been grilling Orsillo over his boston.com chat session, in which, Orsillo was asked what his typical day was like and Remy was all over him, because it says that D.O. works out from 10:30 to 1:30. Three hours! Orsillo contends that it was a misprint, but RemDawg won't let it go. Crawford just stole second. I think that's his eighth steal of the game. Johnson finally throws a strike to Huff to make it 3-1. Hard grounder to Youk at first, comes up on him, he takes it on the heel of his glove and takes the ball himself for the out as Crawford moves to third for Cantu at the plate now. Wow, that's just dumb baseball. Jason Johnson going from the full wind-up, taking forever to come to the plate and Carl Crawford takes advantage and just stole home....easily! Cantu just grounded out to Lowell. Where are Johnson's release papers? Sign off on those immediately! 5-1, Rays.

Teams R H E
Sox 1 2 1
Rays 5 7 0

They just showed the Hazel Mae Red Sox Rewind commercial where she's wearing the tightest shirt in the world and at the end Alex Cora makes no hiding of his eyes viewing what she likes to show off. Ouch!

Fifth Inning - Red Sox at Devil Rays

Anyway, Mike Lowell leads off with a double down the left field line that takes a huge bounce and ends up in the stands. Coco Crisp up now. I can't really hear that much of a Sox crowd in St. Pete, which is kind of weird, but then again, it's July and no one is flocking down South to get away from 80-degree heat up here in favor of the 90s with humidity. Coco grounds up the middle, closer to the second base side, but Lugo ranges all the way over from short to his glove side to the left and throws him out as Lowell moves to third. Great, Cora just got hit by a pitch on the elbow. Here's Youk. Hopefully, he won't hit another speaker. A little mini-golf baseball here. High fly ball, I mean high, to center, Baldelli hauls it in with a throw to the plate coming in on the ball, but it's to the third base side and Lowell scores to pull the Sox to within 5-2. Cora moves to second on the throw, but Loretta flies to shallow right to end the inning. At least they go the run. Don't be surprised to see Johnson back out there to torture us.

I'm not sure if I should be happy or not. It's Julian Tavarez on for the Sox. At least we know what we're getting from him. Here's Greg Norton batting for Gomes, who as you remember, decided to tell the ump some unpleasant words, coupled with some obscene sign language. Yeah, he just popped up to Crisp in shallow center. Russell Branyan will now attempt to not strike out and Tavarez will attempt to not serve up a gopher ball. Both are making out well as Tavarez misses way outside for a 3-1 count. He walks him. Are you kidding me? At least there's an out. Ty Wiggington digs in. He's an RBI machine for some reason. Must be doing some kind of growth hormone. Ground ball to Cora and you know what's coming...6-4-3, double play. Nice job. Rays 5, Sox 2.

Teams R H E
Sox 2 3 1
Rays 5 7 0

They just showed a NESN flashback, since it's their 25th anniversary and all. May 29, 1984 when they retired Joe Cronin's number four and Ted Williams' number nine. I love that. Dad, Julie and I were actually at the game when Yaz' number eight was retired.

Sixth Inning - Red Sox at Devil Rays

Ortiz just singled over the shift into center field. Manny just hit a shot to left field that probably would have grabbed some Monster at Fenway, but Crawford makes the catch in front of the fence here at the Trop for out number one.
Here's Trot trying not to waste Ortiz' hit. 1-1 on him. Remy and Don are talking about how Manny (and the Red Sox) want him to skip playing in the All-Star game to rest a sore knee, even though he's the top vote-getter in the American League. 2-2 to Nixon. He runs it full. Good at-bat here. Little hit-and-run here. Ortiz off with the pitch as Nixon grounds to second, so the speedster prevents the double play and stands at second with Tek coming up. Strike one on the outer half. Ooooh, he looked bad on that one. Breaking ball inside that Tek waves at. Again, fastball with nothing on it, but inside and Tek swings through it for the third out. I'm getting discouraged now.

Josh Paul just led off with a bloop single that landed in the Bermuda Triangle between Manny, Coco and Cora. Here's Lugo now. I don't think this guy has any fat on him at all. Not only that, his underarmor sportswear is skin tight. 0-2 to Lugo. Tailor-made double-play ball to Loretta, who flips to Cora and Cora one-hops it to Youk, but the University of Cincinnati All-American picks it for the out.
Here's Crawford. This guy has got to be one of my five favorite players in baseball. 2-2 count on Crawford. He grounds to third, Lowell has it, throws to first, out. Inning over. 5-2, Rays.

Teams R H E
Sox 2 4 1
Rays 5 8 0

Seventh Inning - Red Sox at Devil Rays

Mike Lowell leads off the inning by hitting a drive to deep left-center field, but Baldelli is there for the out. Hopefully, Coco can get on board here. Eh, 0-2 count on him. Hitting from the left side here, as he has the whole game. Ball outside. Crisp grounds to the right side, Cantu ranges to his left, makes the play and throws to first for the second out.
Here's Alex Cora, who takes a fastball on the outside corner for a strike. 0-2 now and this kid is crusing, just an out away from pitching seven full innings. Takes a fastball outside for a ball. When he wastes an 0-2 pitch, he isn't even close. Cora works the count full. Wow, that was close. Ball four. What a shame, that's it for Corcoran, but maybe the Sox can take advantage of the horror show, known as the Devil Rays' bullpen. Former Sox late-season acquistion from Houston in '05, Chad Harville is on to face Youk. D.O. just pointed out that Youk is 1-9 in the series. Sounds like a good time to break out. 1-1 the count. Just swung for the fences, but left the ball in the catcher's mitt on that one. 2-2 now. Full count. I'm liking this now. I don't like this, though. Youk pops it up a mile and Huff waits for it to parachute down into his glove for the third out. Just six more outs to score three runs.

Tavarez is still out there for the Sox. Inning number three. Rocco Baldelli leads it off. He's up 3-0 in the count. Tavarez gets the automatic strike and then comes back to get Baldelli to hit a bouncing five hopper to Cora, who throws him out at first.
Aubrey Huff taking strike one now. A slow chopping ground ball to Youk, who fields it on the short hop and then takes three steps across the bag for out number two.
Jorge Cantu trying to prevent the 1-2-3 inning for Tavarez now. 1-1 count. He gets Cantu to fly to deep center, but Coco is there and it's onto the top of the eighth.

Teams R H E
Sox 2 4 1
Rays 5 8 0

Eighth Inning - Red Sox at Devil Rays

Meanwhile the Yankees are leading the Indians, 11-3, as they head to the ninth in Cleveland.
Mark Loretta leads it off for the Sox and not that it will make a difference, but Tomas Perez is in at third for Huff now. Loretta ground to Lugo, who moves slightly to his backhand and makes the throw across the diamond for the out. Here's Big Papi, but the Rays are bringing in their lefty to face him. Jon Switzer (no relation to Barry, I'm sure) is on to face Big Papi. Strike one, ball one, strike two and strike three swinging!
Manny is up. 0-1 count. Pitch waaay inside that almost hits Manny as he turns away for ball two. Even count at 2-2 now. Manny hits it to left, but not enough legs as Crawford makes the catch and the Sox are down to an inning.

Craig Hansen is on for the Sox now, after three scoreless from Tavarez. The problem, of course, was that we allowed Jason Johnson to start.
Greg Norton leads it off and Hansen gets ahead 0-2. Ball one inside, strike three on the slider that goes away from the left-hand hitting Norton.
Branyan fouls the first pitch off. Another foul, just barely getting the bat on the ball. Ball one on the 0-2. Just 15,000 at the Trop as the count evens at 2-2. Strike three on another nasty pitch, a sinking fastball on this one. Two down.
Hansen's just dealing now as Ty Wiggington takes strike one. Make that strike two. 0-2 for the third straight batter. Strike three, no soup for you.

Teams R H E
Sox 2 4 1
Rays 5 8 0

Ninth Inning - Red Sox at Devil Rays

Jon "Don't call me Barry" Switzer is still in to face left-handed hitting Tro Nixon as the 1993 First Round pick runs the count to 3-1. Trot checks his swing and it's lucky for him that the third base ump agreed, because Trot already threw his bat away. Ball four and here comes a new pitcher. Brian Meadows is on to face Tek, but Jason flies out to Crawford in left center.
Hopefully, Mike Lowell can get a hold of one here. Nope. Fly ball to right and the Sox are one out away from dropping the first three games of this series to the D-Rays.
Here's Coco, who is 0 for his last 17. 1-0 the count. Crisp fouls it off out of play off of third. Nixon was going on the pitch. I'm sure the Rays would just let him have it. Yep, Nixon goes to second on defensive indifference and Coco looks at a fastball for strike two. Meadows bounces ball two and Nixon races to third. 2-2 the count. Make it 0 for his last 18. Weak pop-up to left and the game is over. How long before John Henry petitions that the Sox be moved to the National League? Four hits!

Teams R H E
Sox 2 4 1
Rays 5 8 0

Final: Devil Rays 5, Red Sox 2

Boston Red Sox
Hitters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
K Youkilis 1B	2	0	0	1	0	0	2	.305
M Loretta 2B	4	0	0	0	0	0	2	.308
D Ortiz DH	3	0	1	0	1	2	1	.274
M Ramirez LF	4	0	0	0	0	0	3	.307
T Nixon RF	3	0	0	0	1	0	0	.328
J Varitek C	4	1	1	1	0	1	2	.244
M Lowell 3B	4	1	1	0	0	0	1	.300
C Crisp CF	4	0	0	0	0	0	1	.261
A Cora SS	1	0	1	0	1	0	0	.304
Totals	29	2	4	2	3	3	12

Boston Red Sox
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	PC-ST	ERA
J Johnson (L, 3-10)	4.0	7	5	4	4	3	0	85-50	6.35
J Tavarez	3.0	1	0	0	1	0	0	32-21	5.10
C Hansen	1.0	0	0	0	0	3	0	13-10	4.70
Totals	8.0	8	5	4	5	6	0	130-81

Next Blog should be next Wednesday. I have scheduled my sailing around it, so I would hope it's next Wednesday. Thursday in Baghdad. Actually, my bad, I think the All-Star game in on Tuesday, so maybe I will just blog that instead and no blog on Wednesday with the offday for MLB.