Jon Lester IS hittable. Two thirds of the Rays had hits by the time Byrd relieved Lester in the 6th with the Rays up 5-0. Rocco Baldelli tacked on a 3 run homer in the 8th and Carlos Pena added a solo bomb in the 9th to seal the Sox fate. Rays 9, Sox 1. 8 hits off The Unhittable One snapped Lester's 24 2/3 scoreless inning playoff streak. And had Fenway "Faithful" headed for the exits in droves well before the last pitch.
And Garza. Other than a few distracting smacks from Pedroia, Kotsay and Cora, he shut down the Sox. Youkilis just couldn't figure him out. The bullpen came through again. JP Howell dealt red hot Dustin Pedroia a double play ball with 2 on in the 7th and pitched a scoreless 8th to quash the Red Sox attempted comeback. Jackson showed he didn't need a three inning warmup for his heater with a 1-2-3 9th inning.
It's Wakefield vs Sonnanstine tonight. Whiffleballs vs. Every Other Form Of Deception. Could be an interesting night for hitters. Ellsbury and Ortiz are way overdue. Could be an interesting night for Rays pitchers. But as long as we end up with one more run than the Beantown Boys, it's all good. 9 home runs between Upton and Longoria in October. A roster full of singles, doubles, stolen bases and go ahead runs. Best defense in the American League. I like our chances.
There will be more post-season baseball at the Trop this year. The only question is whether the next ball thrown in St. Pete will be in Game 6 of the ALCS or Game One of the World Series. Believe.
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