Sanity Restored: Sox crush Rays

Sox 12, Tampa Bay 4
WP: Beckett (3-2)
LP: Shields (3-2)
SV: None
HRs: BOS-None: TB-Gross (1), Iwamura (2)

SUMMARY:
Josh Beckett didn't have a terrific outing, but he didn't need to, either. The Sox pounded Tampa Bay starter James Shields and the Rays, striking for 15 hits and a dozen runs in the highest scoring game for Boston since a 12-6 victory against Detroit on April 10th.

SUPERSTAR(s): Boston batters 12R, 15H, 7-2Bs, 7BB
The slumping sluggers finally came out of their weeks-long slumber to crush the ball the way we all know they're capable of doing. It helps that they had their preferred starting lineup intact for the first time since the Oakland series in early April.

THE BIGGEST LOSER: Shields 3.2IP, 10H, 7ER, 3BB, 3K
Six days after delivering the masterpiece of his young career, a 2-hit complete game shutout of the Sox, Boston exacted revenge on the Tampa Bay starter like Uma Thurman in the Kill Bill saga - swiftly and with plenty of blood, but no remorse.

RECAP:
Tonight's game confirmed that yes, the planets are still properly aligned and the Earth is still rotating on its axis as things returned to normal in the baseball world - the Sox pummelled the Tampa Bay Rays.

No more of this "the Rays are in first place" or "Tampa Bay held Boston to five runs in three games" bullshit to deal with anymore. Boston has woken up and smelled the indignity of being called the Rays bitch last weekend, and it has responded in a major way.

And by major I mean 19 runs and 28 hits in two games major. Major as in they had more hits off Rays starter James Shields through the first three batters of the game tonight (3) then they had off him in 9 innings last Sunday (2).

Major as in the real Red Sox are back together and showing the rest of the league that last week's losing streak and scoring drought were just aberrations and not the norm for this team full of sluggers and OBP kings. And if the Rays think they are gonna put together a decent little club and knock the champs right off their throne, they got another thing coming.

Okay, I think I vented enough of the rage pent up from last weekend. Now I just hope they can beat Sox killer Scott Kazmir in his season debut tomorrow.

But there's plenty of time to worry about that tomorrow. Right now I want to bask in the glow of this major league ass-kicking.

As I mentioned Boston wasted no time making sure there would be no repeat performance by Shields, who was named the AL Player of the Week on the strength of his outing against the Sox.
The first four batters of the game rapped hits off the young righty, including an RBI double by David Ortiz and a 2-RBI single by Manny Ramirez, and before the crowd had even settled in to their frosty seats the score was 3-0 Boston.

Beckett (8IP, 7H, 4ER, 1BB, 4K, 2HR), who pitched brilliantly himself in that game Sunday but was done in by a couple of mistakes, didn't do himself any favors tonight when he allowed a 2-run homer by the light-hitting Gabe Gross in the 2nd to slice the Sox lead to 3-2, but luckily for him the Boston bats weren't nearly as cold as the frigid Boston 'spring' weather.

In fact the Sox scored in 6 of the 8 innings they batted in tonight, led by the AL's hits leader, Dustin Pedroia (3-5, 2R, BI) and the resurgent Ortiz (3-5, 2R, 2BI), who hit a pair of opposite field doubles and raised his average over .200 for the first time all season.

But the pesky Rays had cut the lead to 5-3 in the 4th when another base running blunder paved the way for the Sox to blow the game open.

Former Sox Eric Hinske (double) and Carlos Pena (single) began the inning with hits off their former teammate Beckett, and after rookie Evan Longoria singled to drive in Hinske, the Rays had cut the lead to two and looked like they could make a game of it after all.

But after Beckett walked Gross to load the bases, Nathan Haynes, playing in place of injured BJ Upton, lined a shot to left field that Manny caught, then fired to the plate to nail Pena trying to score from third.

It was the third Rays runner gunned down at home in two games, and it definitely deflated the team in its attempt to keep the game close.

Especially when Boston scored in the bottom of the inning on Shields' first two pitches - back-to-back doubles by Pedroia and Papi - to push the score back to 6-3, and when the Sox tacked on another run off reliever JP Howell on a bases loaded HBP to Jason Varitek, the game was, for all intents and purposes, over right there.

Just for shits and giggles Boston decided to keep scoring, though (once you break the seal...), plating a pair in the 6th off Howell on a single by Youk and a groundout (what else) by JD Drew, and then they added another 3-spot in the 8th off Scott Dohman, who was supposed to be one of Tampa Bay's top relievers.

Beckett did allow another homer, to Aki Iwamura leading off the 8th, proving that after a stint on the DL and a scratched start caused by the flu and a stiff neck, he still is not in Cy Young form, but if his offense is clicking like this every time he pitches, he doesn't have to worry about surrendering 2 runs or less every time he goes out.

There was a time not too long ago that the Boston starters did feel they had to be perfect in order to give the team a chance to win.

But since then the baseball world has righted itself, and now the strong inhabit the top of the East, and before long the meek will go back to dwelling near the cellar, where they belong.

RECORD: 19-13
AL EAST: Up 2 gms
STREAK: W2
LAST 10: 4-6
UP NEXT: Sun vs TB 135 Kazmir vs. Lester