For the second night in a row, the Tampa Bay Rays headed back to the team hotel in Boston in good spirits after besting the Red Sox. Tuesday they got the better of Boston by a slim 3-2 margin but managed such with solid performances from the entire lineup. If things keep up this way, watch out A.L East.
Boston got on the scoreboard first courtesy of Darnell McDonald’s solo home run that led off the bottom of the third inning. McDonald took the 0-1 pitch from Tampa Bay starter David Price outta there to left field. It was the first of two runs charged to Price on five hits in his 7 and 2/3 innings pitched. He struck out three batters and walked two in the solid performance that earned him his first win of the season.
Held scoreless through the first four frames, the Rays were poised to break it open in the top of the fifth. They settled for a three-spot and a two-run lead off of Boston starter Jon Lester, quite the accomplishment in such a titanic battle of lefties. Kelly Shoppach picked up the first of three consecutive base hits by the Rays, followed by Dan Johnson and Elliot Johnson. Who would step to the plate next? None other than the now-legendary Sam Fuld.
This article appears in Apr 7-13, 2011.