Red Sox vs. Rays: Tampa Bay Pulls Closer With 8-5 Win

Ellsbury's Running, Scutaro's Bunting Highlight Red Sox Loss

Rays vs. Red Sox: Tampa Bay Wins Key Game, 4-3

Rays Manager Joe Maddon Criticizes Umpires After Loss To Red Sox

The Tampa Bay Rays lost a tough game to the Boston Red Sox, 4-3, Friday night in Fenway Park, putting them four games behind Boston and making their attempted run to overtake the Red Sox for the wild card that much tougher.

Rays manager Joe Maddon minced no words after the game; he claimed that Rays hitters were put at a disadvantage by home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt:

“Obviously, I went out there to discuss the width of the strike zone, and I never mentioned anything about balls and strikes,” Maddon said after Friday’s game. "I was trying to have a conversation. He immediately threw me out. I said, ‘Listen, I’m not coming out here to argue. I just want to know what’s going on because my guys are talking about how wide it is.’ He didn’t like me asking that question. I wanted to be respectful. I didn’t yell. I walked out there and I thought I did it in a fashion where nobody else would know. I had no intention of getting kicked out right there. I just wanted to know what was going on, everybody keeps complaining about the width of the strike zone.

“So, I came back up [into the clubhouse] and watched it after that. And it was pretty egregious. There’s no question but let the court of public opinion prevail here. I think anybody who would watch that and would be pretty objective about things, I’ll take it. I’ll take whatever they have to say. It’s tough enough to beat Beckett but when he’s getting pitches on the [inside batter’s box] chalk lines, that makes it much more difficult.”

Several Rays were called out on strikes that Maddon felt were well wide of the plate; despite what he says was his “respectful” tone, Wendelstedt tossed him. The Rays could still have a shot at the wild card if they can win Saturday and Sunday, but Maddon left no doubt about who he blamed for Friday’s defeat:

“We’re still in good position if we could get [Saturday] and Sunday’s game,” Maddon said. “That puts us in pretty good shape but it was made much more difficult by the actions of the home plate umpire.”

Red Sox Vs. Rays: Boston Evens Series With 4-3 Win

Friday night at Fenway Park, Josh Beckett struck out seven over six innings and Mike Aviles homered in the bottom of the fourth inning off James Shields to lift the Boston Red Sox to a 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.

With their win, the Red Sox increased their lead over the Rays in the American League Wild Card race to four games, with each team having 12 games remaining on their schedules.

The Rays jumped to an early 2-0 lead over the Red Sox, with left fielder Desmond Jennings leading off the game with a bunt single and reaching second base on a throwing error by Beckett. Jennings scored when third baseman Evan Longoria took Beckett deep for his 28th home run of the season. Jennings was a thorn in the Red Sox's side throughout the night, reaching base four times, scoring twice and accounting for two of the Rays' seven stolen bases.

The Red Sox would respond in the bottom of the first, with Jacoby Ellsbury doubling to lead off the frame and scoring on an RBI single by Dustin Pedroia. After reaching second on a wild pitch by Shields, Pedroia scored on a base hit by David Ortiz.

Ortiz also drove in Pedroia on a double to right center to tie the game again in the bottom of the third inning, one inning before Aviles' sixth home run of the season. Beckett allowed six hits and walked one on 109 pitches before giving way to the bullpen. Alfredo Aceves and Daniel Bard combined to walk three and strike out five over the seventh and eighth innings before Jonathan Papelbon came on to strike out the side in the ninth to earn his 30th save of the season.

Papelbon now has six straight seasons with at least 30 saves.

Jon Lester (15-7) takes the mound for the Red Sox on Saturday, while 6-foot-9, 260-pound right-hander Jeff Niemann (10-7) starts for the Rays.

For Rays: One Down, Two (Or Three) To Go

Rays Vs. Red Sox: Tampa Bay Throttles Boston, 9-2

The Tampa Bay Rays kept the Boston Red Sox within arms-reach in the wildcard standings, opening a pivotal four-game series at Fenway Park with a 9-2 win. Tampa Bay moved to within three games of Boston in the Wild Card standings, and will draw even with a series sweep.

B.J. Upton, Evan Longoria and Casey Kotchman provided all the offense the Rays needed, driving in three runs apiece as Tampa Bay scored in bunches on Thursday. Upton opened the scoring in the fourth with an RBI single, driving in John Jaso. Longoria followed with a three-run home run, plating Upton and Desmond Jennings.

The Rays led 4-1 in the sixth when Kotchman lifted a two-run home run to right-center, scoring Johnny Damon and padding the advantage. In the seventh, with the Rays holding a comfortable 6-1 lead, Upton added a two-run home run, and the rout was on. Kotchman added an RBI single later in the inning.

The Red Sox scored once in the ninth, on a Darnell McDonald single, before Alex Torres slammed the door, giving the Rays the 9-2 win.

Jeremy Hellickson was solid for 5-2/3 innings, allowing one run on three hits while striking out four to earn the win. Kyle Weiland was tagged with the loss after lasting just three innings and giving up four runs on three hits while striking out two and walking one.

The Rays and Red Sox get back at it on Friday at 7:10 Eastern in the second game of the series. For the Rays, the next three games represent the best opportunity to reel in the Red Sox in the standings. Going forward, Tampa Bay has eight games against the New York Yankees and three against the Toronto Blue Jays to close out the year.

For more on this game, visit Over the Monster and DRaysBay.

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