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The beasts of the East -- the rivals whose blood feud extends to a previous century -- face off for a three-game series in the heat of the summer with first place on the line. It's another epic chapter in the bitter rivalry between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays.
Hmm, something doesn't seem quite right. Yet here we are tonight, the Sox and the Rays facing off with less than a game separating them. Two players will be absent because they're serving suspensions incurred during the last time these teams played each other. And it's not like these clubs have no history. We'll never forget Pedro's near no-hitter during a game in which the Rays lost a half-dozen or more personnel in an epic beanball war.
If the storyline of the Sox and Yanks until 2004 was akin to the fabled rivalry between hammer and nail, so too has that of the Sox and Rays -- with the Sox finally playing the hammer. Even this season, the Rays have twice now entered Fenway Park for a series with the Sox in first place and left in second.
Of course, tonight's game won't be played in Fenway. It will be in Tropicana Field, where the Sox in April dropped three straight in maddening fashion, losing by a grand total of five runs. Overall, the Sox lead the season series so far, 6-3, and they've outscored Tampa 50-26. Yes, these are a different group of Rays than the Devils who scared no one except an opposing hitter or two when one of those wild fastballs sailed too close to the head. But they are still a group that has yet to show it can beat the Red Sox when the games matter most.
Tonight, the Sox look to regain first place the old-fashioned way -- by wresting it directly from the team they're playing. Justin Masterson, the phenom who has stepped up tremendously thus far, faces James Shields, who shut down the Sox back in that April series, but imploded in two meetings since.
Extra security is on hand in Tampa tonight (and, no, it doesn't matter that it has nothing to do with the actual game being played. It's all about atmosphere, dang it), and at YFSF headquarters, debate rages on whether to register a new domain: RFSF.org.
It's almost time for the epic showdown to commence. Comment. Away.
Lineps courtesy the Globe:
Red Sox
1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. J.D. Drew, RF
4. Manny Ramirez, DH
5. Mike Lowell, 3B
6. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
7. Brandon Moss, LF
8. Jason Varitek, C
9. Julio Lugo, SS
Justin Masterson, SP
Rays
1. B.J. Upton, CF
2. Carl Crawford, LF
3. Willy Aybar, 2B
4. Carlos Pena, 1B
5. Evan Longoria, 3B
6. Eric Hinske, DH
7. Dioner Navarro, C
8. Gabe Gross, RF
9. Jason Bartlett, SS
James Shields, SP
getting on a plane home now bummed to be missing this one. Love seeing the debuts of young kids. Go yanks!
Posted by: sam-YF | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 06:38 PM
> RFSF.org
Ramirez Fan / Secretary Fan?
Posted by: attackgerbil | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 06:41 PM
sorry posted on the wrong thread!
Posted by: sam-YF | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 07:00 PM
Did the HBP look intentional?
Posted by: dknyc | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 07:22 PM
Hello? Anybody there?
Posted by: rootbeerfloat | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 07:25 PM
Ugh, nothing worse than coming in on a game early and already being down... Well, except for coming in after the game is over and having already lost...
Posted by: Paul SF | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 07:27 PM
They scored on the first pitch of the bottom of the first but Masterson shook it off so that's good news.
Posted by: rootbeerfloat | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 07:31 PM
Masterson having some control issues, but he's got the sinker working so far.
Posted by: Paul SF | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 07:37 PM
Can someone tell me if Masterson's hbp looked intentional?
Posted by: dknyc | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 07:41 PM
didn't look intentional dk; seemed like he didn't finish cleanly and dragged the ball, hit the batter near the ankle on the 1-2.
Posted by: minomni SF | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 07:46 PM
Thanks...
Posted by: dknyc | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 07:50 PM
Wow, Tek is down to .224
Posted by: SF | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 08:00 PM
Two on, two out. Need some clutch hitting here...
Posted by: Paul SF | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 08:00 PM
All right, Lowell! Tie game!
Posted by: Paul SF | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 08:03 PM
*sigh* Well, that sinker didn't sink.
The way Shields is pitching, a two-run deficit feels enormous.
Posted by: Paul SF | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 08:17 PM
crap!
Posted by: rootbeerfloat | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 08:23 PM
Come on, Masterson. Finish the job,
Posted by: I'mBillMcNeal | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 08:55 PM
Shields starts the 7th on the verge of 100 pitches. We'll see how far he goes.
Posted by: I'mBillMcNeal | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 08:58 PM
Lowell singles to center on a 3-2 pitch. Tying run at the plate in Yooks.
Posted by: I'mBillMcNeal | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 09:01 PM
Am I imagining things, or did the Rays homer announcer just say that Youk's last out would "put him into a whining session"? (whatever the f that's supposed to mean).
Posted by: mp | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 09:06 PM
mp, is that the radio guy?
Posted by: I'mBillMcNeal | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 09:06 PM
It was the Ray's TV color analyst (i.e., NOT the guy who sounds like Bill Brasky's drunk pederast uncle). I'm forced to watch mlb.com's stream at the moment...
Posted by: mp | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 09:15 PM
I think I'm going to shoot myself if I hear, "live and on demand, live and on demand, on MLB.TV, MLB.TV, MLB.TV, MLB.TV, MLB.TV....."
I can see advertising to those who don't have MLB.TV, but to repeat the darn thing 50 times every 10 minutes is going to drive me batty!
Oh, and GO SOX!
Posted by: chazkawaii | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 09:20 PM
Is anyone hearing an echo on MLB.TV?
Posted by: chazkawaii | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 09:22 PM
Hey Bill - here's one for you:
Jose Molina - .229/.257/.319
Jason Varitek - .223/.307/.375
Is THAT "surprising"!?
Posted by: A YF | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 09:25 PM
I thought it might be Dave Wills, the TB radio guy who used to do the studio work for the White Sox. He's brutal.
Posted by: I'mBillMcNeal | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 09:28 PM
Ass YF, it's about as surprising as you coming over here to bait me.
Posted by: I'mBillMcNeal | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 09:29 PM
Oh, I'm just pointing that out - as you would say. I mean, isn't THAT surprising? There's no baiting intended - at all.
Posted by: A YF | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 09:32 PM
Oh, yeah, and like I said - opposite directions:
Jeter - .284 .344 .393
Lugo - .274 .364 .343
Posted by: A YF | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 09:34 PM
A - not sure I've ever seen any comp on this site from any SF between Lugo and Jeter, I think it's fair to say that most SFs wouldn't mind trading the two.
Posted by: BillsBurgSF | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 09:39 PM
Bill's speechless.
Heh.
BB - Ask Bill.
Posted by: A YF | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 09:42 PM
Sorry SFs to intrude, but I must come in here with the update that Jose Veras just threw a 90 mph+ fastball when Molina had called for a curveball and the pitch hit Molina directly in the penis. I mean, directly. You could here it collide with Molina's cup and he rolled around for a while but had the sense/carjones to hobble over to pick up the ball as the runner was advancing from 2nd to 3rd.
Then he stayed in the game.
Jose Molina just won the tough cuy of the century award as far as I am concerned. I feel semi-nauseous just typing the summary here.
OK - that's my contribution for the night. Take care.
Posted by: IronHorse (yf) | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 09:51 PM
OUCH!!!
Posted by: BillsBurgSF | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 09:56 PM
Mini golf saves Boston! Moss' popup hits a structure and falls in for a double! Tying run on second, 1 out!
Posted by: Paul SF | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 09:56 PM
All on Lugo now, with the tying run at third and two out.
Posted by: Paul SF | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 09:58 PM
A - must have missed that discourse (thankfully), I'm with the head SF about Lugo being my LFRS!
On another note, anyone check out MLB gameday, sorry if I'm late on it, I've been without computer at night since the end of last week, the 3D is interesting. Too bad they couldn't make the graphics like Nintendo RBI baseball, that would have been sweet!
Posted by: BillsBurgSF | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 10:00 PM
and the pitch hit Molina directly in the penis
God, I have a wonderful follow-up to this comment (low-hanging fruit, pun intended), but I just can't bring myself to post it. That's about all I can say.
Posted by: SF | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 10:01 PM
The new MLB gameday pitching change graphics look a little like the mid 80s!
Posted by: BillsBurgSF | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 10:01 PM
So Percival out with an injury. Suicide squeeze?
Posted by: Paul SF | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 10:02 PM
I must confess I'd rather have Jed Lowrie up in this situation.
Posted by: Paul SF | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 10:04 PM
The Rays announcer just called this "the championship season..." Uhhh...
Posted by: Paul SF | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 10:05 PM
I must confess I'd rather have Jed Lowrie up in this situation.
I must confess that I'd rather have Julio Iglesias up in this situation.
Posted by: SF | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 10:05 PM
Full count on Lugo.
Posted by: Paul SF | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 10:06 PM
"Suicide squeeze?"
Don't you need less than two outs for that to work?
Posted by: A YF | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 10:06 PM
Gameday "in play Out(s)" I'm gonna take Julio down by the school yard and kick his a$$ is what I'm going to do!
Posted by: BillsBurgSF | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 10:07 PM
Well, he hit a line drive, but caught by the shortstop. Dang. Another one-run game in which the margin of defeat is provided by the bullpen. Very frustrating.
Posted by: Paul SF | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 10:08 PM
"Suicide squeeze?"
Maybe if Ells was on third..
Posted by: BillsBurgSF | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 10:08 PM
Tough loss SFs. At least no one got hit in the penis.
That is my new consolation for everything. Hallmark should make a card.
Posted by: IronHorse (yf) | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 10:08 PM
LOL, IH. - I'm going to try to stop by these threads. They're GREAT fun!
Posted by: A YF | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 10:10 PM
Paul, on your post about the bullpen, I know the Sox pen has been hit or miss over the last few years, but has there really been a consistent pen in the AL that has put together multi year runs?
Posted by: BillsBurgSF | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 10:11 PM
"has there really been a consistent pen in the AL that has put together multi year runs?"
The Angels come immediately to mind - but only with how consistently they make me feel crappy.
Good night, all.
Posted by: A YF | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 10:14 PM
I wouldn't mind if K-Rod got hit in the penis.
Posted by: IronHorse (yf) | Monday, June 30, 2008 at 10:23 PM
Four of the five runs the Rays scored got on base via BB. Glad I missed this game.
Posted by: Atheose | Tuesday, July 01, 2008 at 08:52 AM
Tough loss SFs. At least no one got hit in the penis.
I missed the game--both games--because I had my company softball championship last night. Playing shortstop I got hit in the shin, and MIGHT have a fracture. But hey, at least I didn't get hit in the penis!
I wish there was a replay of it I could see somewhere.
Posted by: Atheose | Tuesday, July 01, 2008 at 09:01 AM
Nm, just saw the video in the most recent post.
Posted by: Atheose | Tuesday, July 01, 2008 at 09:03 AM