Another Trop Trap

The Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays engaged in a four hour fifty seven minute war of nerves when, in the thirteenth inning, Evan Longoria ended it with a mammoth tater off Takashi Saito. The Sox had been up until the eighth inning when the Rays tied it off a coming-back-to-earth Daniel Bard. With a Yankees win, the pinstripers are assured of being in first place before the start of the upcoming four game series Thursday night.

Jon Lester was the tough luck loser, the victim of too few runs scored by his team. He was able to go six innings and gave up only three hits and one earned run while striking out ten and walking two. He threw 110 pitches in that span and gave way to the bullpen. Okajimi, Bard, with the blown save, Delcarmen, Ramirez, Papelbon and loser Saito followed in a game that actually ended Wednesday morning. Both teams had multiple chances to win it. Here's what Jon Lester had to say after the unsuccessful marathon ended...

“I felt all right,” Lester said. “I don’t think I had my best stuff tonight, but I made some adjustments from pitch to pitch, and executed some pitches when I needed to. I would have liked to have gone a little deeper in the game, but that’s a testament to that team over there. They put up some good ABs, and battle, and foul some pitches off, and worked a lot of 3-2 counts.”

And battle they did, fouling off pitch after pitch after pitch. The Rays deserved to win that game, a game in which there should have been no loser. Ya can't win 'em all but that doesn't make it any easier. Boston ends its short Florida stay tonight with the 7-5 Penny set to face the 4-4 Price. Let's get out of town with a victory and head north to the Bronx. I'm sure Big Papi will get a loud reception, incredibly, jeeringly and shockingly LOUD.

Here's a quick Tim Wakefield news update for you and for frequent commenter and everyday reader "BoSox Fan In Wichita." Timmy is feeling better but still suffers from weakness in his left calf, a pain related to his subsiding lower back injury. I guess he was compensating for the back pain and injured his leg while doing so. We all know a pitcher without two good legs will not be effective so for now we wish Timmy well and hope he'll be back sometime soon.

Well, we made it to Hump Day Wednesday of this first week of August. It's a sticky and warm pre-dawn morning here in north central Connecticut as the sun has yet to make an appearance. It will...count on it. You can click on this post's title for more Sox info SI style and as always, BE WELL. Take care of yourselves, I need you back here. Your comments would be great if the mood hits you. See ya...soon.