Railroading Rays @ All is (w)Ell Red Sox 8/16-8/17

[Tobywan]

Probables

Shields VS Lester (DH Game 1)

Niemann VS Bedard (Game 2)

Price VS Lackey



The Rays have got some climbing to do and they need to do against their long time foes, they were able to take one of two from the Yanks, but the final will have to wait. Now they look to make up a game lost earlier to the Sox in a possibly wet DH. I am watching the beat writers tweets and so far it seems just a light drizzle at Fenway, so far the first game is a go.

Match ups for Game 1

James Shields is 11-9 with a 2.80 ERA. Got his 8th CG of the season last Tues. shutting out the Royals. He will go for the first game of the DH since his game in NY was washed out.

Jon Lester hasn’t had the best Aug. and allowed 4 runs on 8 hits and 5 walks against the Twins in 7 1/3 innings last Wed. He is 11-6 with a 3.32 ERA for the season.


Tid bits


Shop has thrown out 14 of 32 attempted basestealers for the ML best of 43.7 %.. The league average this season is 23.2 percent. The existing club record is held by Toby Hall(yay), who threw out 41.3 percent (31 of 75) in 2003.

Farnsworth, only pitcher in the AL with 20-plus saves (21) and an ERA under 2.00 (1.96). In the NL it’s Pirate Joel Hanrahan and Brave Craig Kimbrel.

Big Papi extended his hitting streak on Sunday to seven games. During the streak he is batting .500 (13-for-26) with five runs, two doubles, three home runs and seven RBIs.

A Gone has recorded an extra-base hit in five of his last six games and leads the Major Leagues with 54 multi-hit games this season.

The Sawx dropped a series for the first time since losing two of three to the Phillies from June 28-30 over the weekend against the M’s.


Congratulations to Don and Soot Zimmer 60 years today! I can’t even stand most men for 60 minutes.

[Tobywan]

Line ups


Rays

Jennings LF
Fuld RF
Longoria 3B
Zobrist DH
Upton CF
Kotchman 1B
Rodriguez 2B
Shoppach C
Johnson SS

Damon will be rested possibly playing the second game, Zobrist will DH the first game.

Red Sox

Ellsbury CF
Pedroia 2B
Gonzalez 1B
Youkilis 3B
Crawford LF
Saltalamacchia C
Reddick RF
Lowrie DH
Aviles SS

Ortiz was scartched due to illness revised line up.

[Tobywan]

Jennings shoots one off the left wall for a double.
Fuld Batting..DJ steals third as Fuld Ks.
Longoria grounds out to third, DJ scores.
Zobrist hits one to the Monster in left center, in at second.
Upton grounds out to short.

Rays lead 1-0.

[Tobywan]

Ellsbury sends one deep to the monster but Upton there.
Pedroia flies out tp right.
Gonzalez flies out to CF.

[Tobywan]

Kotchman grounds to short.
Rodriguez HBP in the leg, having trouble staying on his feet, walking it off, heading to first.
Shoppach walks.
Johnson pops a bunt caught by Youkilis, tries to catch Shop off first for a dp, but ump calls Shop safe, missed call.
Jennings batting, SRod steals third.... DJ down swinging.

[Tobywan]

Youkilis lines out to short.
Crawford caught looking, on a ball...HP ump's zone a little wide, but at least for both teams.
Salty grounds out to first.

[Tobywan]

Fuld grounds out to second.
Longo grounds out to short.
Zo called out on strikes.

[Tobywan]

Reddick singles to right.
Lowrie Ks looking.
Aviles singles to center.
Ells lifts one high and depp to right, Sam looks up....GONE!

Boston leads 3-1.

Ped Ks,
AGon grounds out to second.

[Tobywan]

Onto the 4th.

BJ Ks.
Kotch lifts one high and deep towards the rf pole....foul! Called on strikes with that ball off the plate again.
SRod Ks.

[Tobywan]

Youk Walks.
CC pops to short.
Salty pops to third.
Redd flies out to right.

[Tobywan]

Shop grounds to short.
EJ flies out to right.
DJ grounds out to short.

[Tobywan]

Lowrie flies out to right.
Aviles grounds out to short.
Ells grounds out to second.

On to the 6th. Sox lead 3-1.

[Tobywan]

Fuld grounds out to second.
Longo singles to left.
Zo failed to check, Ks.
BJ Ks.

[Tobywan]

Ped lines out to third.
AGon Ks.
Youk hits looper into left, DJ makes the slide for the catch.

[Tobywan]

Kotch grounds out to short.
SRod flies out to cf.
Shop pops up to catcher.