Red Sox Slammed By Tampa Bay...Rays 6 Red Sox 2

Boston Red Sox killer Evan Longoria of the Tampa Bays Rays was at the plate in the fifth inning with the bases loaded and the score 2-1 Boston. He found a pitch to his liking from Sox starter Justin Masterson and drove it into the seats for a grand slam home run. Pena followed that blast with one of his own and suddenly Tampa Bay had a commanding 6-2 lead, a lead they never relinquished. Masterson tried to explain what happened in that faithful fifth...

"A sacrifice fly and two home runs is what happened," Masterson said. "Pretty much the fifth inning got out of hand. Just made a poor pitch decision to Longoria, one that got out and over the plate, and he put it where he's supposed to. Aside from that I feel really good. If I make a better pitch, we might be winning this game today. That's unfortunate for me to have to think about."

When behind by multiple runs, Mikey Lowell tried to explain his team's mindset...

"You feel like you're not a bloop and a blast away from the game," Lowell said. "Four runs means you have to either do that bloop and a blast multiple times, or mount up an inning that - not that we're not capable of it - but the odds of scoring four runs in an inning is not the greatest against any team. It kind of takes you out of the game plan of being aggressive. You want to make sure you don't run into outs, you're not going to steal as much. I think we had some opportunities to break the game open. When they had the same chance they did it, and we didn't."

In the end, Masterson, who had been breezing through four with impeccable control, gave up those six runs on six hits while walking three and striking out six, extending the futility of the Boston starters, save for Timmy Wakefield, who goes tonight at
7:08pm EDT. He will face the Rays' Jeff Niemann in a game they WILL win.That's just a feeling I have in my Red Sox soul...I hope I'm right. Boston dropped to second place in the AL East but are well within striking distance. The weight of the world is again on Wake's shoulders. He's been our 2009 stopper and we have to count on him again. But Tropicana Field has not been kind to the Sox the past two years...a win tonight will change all that malarky.

John Smoltz is said to be suffering from a "dead arm," according to the Boston doctors, but this setback should only delay his return a week or so. And Daisuke Matsuzaka will pitch a game in Pawtucket before the end of next week so the beleagured Red Sox rotation will get some relief. They have been surprisingly inneffective and have squeezed everything out of the bullpen. We need Wakes to go a strong eight innings so the 'pen can have an "almost" night off. May the force continue to be with Wakes.

Enjoy your Saturday and your weekend. My girlfriend Nadia received a terrible phone call from her Mom late last night telling her that her beautiful little doggie, Lady Bug, who was always by her side or sleeping on her bed, passed away yesterday. She was only six years old. I held her as she cried and cried and cried, shedding a few tears myself. Sometimes life is tough, and I told her that. She's still sleeping, and I'm happy about that. She adored Lady Bug SO much.

As always, BE WELL. Click on this post's title for more on the Red Sox and be safe out there. Life is too short...make the most of it while you can. Please. See ya...soon.