Rays 2, Red Sox 1
Associated Press
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Sept. 16 -- Dioner Navarro singled with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth inning Tuesday night, enabling the Tampa Bay Rays to beat the Boston Red Sox, 2-1, and remain in first place in the AL East.
Navarro delivered his second game-winner in a week against the defending World Series champions, lifting a fly ball that sailed over the head center fielder Coco Crisp on a 2-2 pitch from Justin Masterson (6-5).
A night after Boston hit six homers to rout Rays ace Scott Kazmir, 13-5, and pull within percentage points of the division lead, Tampa Bay wiped out a 1-0 deficit on Carlos Peña's seventh-inning homer off Josh Beckett.
"It's all about starting pitching every night, not just tonight," Rays Manager Joe Maddon said. "We've played well this year because of that and defense."
"It's amazing how one pitch can change the complexion of the game," Beckett said.
The Rays, who have led the division for the past 54 days, moved one game ahead of the Red Sox, who have lost seven of eight at Tropicana Field this season. Dan Wheeler (5-5) struck out the only batter he faced to bail Tampa Bay out of a ninth-inning jam and get the victory before a crowd of 32,079.
The Rays loaded the bases on Jason Bartlett's bloop single, a walk and a hit batsman. Navarro, whose ninth-inning double off Jonathan Papelbon gave Tampa Bay a 5-4 victory at Fenway Park last Tuesday, ended with a fly that fell just short of the warning track.
"We're finally getting to the point now where we're starting to believe that we can beat these guys, and that's very important," Maddon said. "You've got to believe you can beat all the guys in the division if you're going to win it."
Beckett and Rays starter Andy Sonnanstine were outstanding against each another for the second time in six days.
Beckett limited the Rays to Peña's 29th homer and two singles in eight innings, and Sonnanstine held the Red Sox to three hits and an unearned run on Kevin Youkilis's sacrifice fly in six innings.
Both allowed just one run last Wednesday at Fenway Park in a game Tampa Bay eventually won, 4-2 in 14 innings.
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