American League Game Summary - Boston at Tampa Bay
(Wednesday, September 19th)
Final Score: Tampa Bay 13, Boston 3
St. Petersburg, FL (Sports Network) - Carlos Pena homered and knocked in three
runs, as the Tampa Bay Rays used a seven-run sixth inning to beat the Boston
Red Sox, 13-3, in the third test of a four-game series.
Jeff Keppinger added a solo homer and two RBI for the Rays, who are 6 1/2
games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Matt Joyce and
Desmond Jennings had two RBI apiece.
"We are alive and we're kicking," Rays manager Joe Maddon said of his club.
"We've just got to keep getting on a nice little toasty streak. We have to get
hot."
Tampa Bay starter Chris Archer (1-3) allowed three runs on five hits over five
innings to pick up his first win in the big leagues. He had six strikeouts and
four walks.
Jacoby Ellsbury went 3-for-3 with two RBI for the Red Sox, who had won the
first two games of this series.
Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-6) gave up five runs on nine hits over three-plus innings
to take the loss.
"It's tough for the guys standing around and watching that," Red Sox manager
Bobby Valentine said of his pitching staff, which issued 10 walks. "They got
to find the strike zone."
Holding a 5-3 lead, the Rays exploded for seven runs in the sixth inning.
Pena led off with a walk and Jose Molina followed with a bunt single.
Pitcher Alfredo Aceves' wild throw allowed the runners to advance to second
and third. Jennings cleared the bases with a triple to left-center field.
Third baseman Pedro Ciriaco's catching error allowed Jennings to score
on the play. B.J. Upton then doubled to left-center field.
Daniel Bard came in from the bullpen and walked Ben Zobrist and Evan Longoria
to load the bases with no outs. Luke Scott hit a sacrifice fly and Keppinger
added an RBI single. Andrew Miller took over after Joyce walked to fill the
bags again. Pena and Molina worked back-to-back walks to force in two more
runs, making it a 12-3 game. Scott Atchison got Jennings to ground into an
inning-ending double play.
Joyce's RBI single in the eighth made it 13-3.
Boston jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Ciriaco singled, stole
second and raced home on Ellsbury's single to left.
Tampa Bay got the run back in the second. Longoria, Scott and Keppinger hit
three straight singles to load the bases with no outs. Joyce walked to force
in a run. Pena struck out swinging and Molina grounded into a double play to
keep it a 1-1 game.
The Red Sox took the lead back in the third. Jose Iglesias walked, moved to
second on Ciriaco's single and scored on Ellsbury's single. Dustin Pedroia
plated another run when he grounded into a fielder's choice.
The Rays scored a run in the bottom half after Jennings singled, stole second
and crossed the plate on Zobrist's single.
Tampa Bay tacked on three more runs in the fourth to go in front for good.
Keppinger led off with a homer to left. Joyce singled and scored on Pena's
homer to right, making it a 5-3 contest.
Game Notes
Boston is 9-6 versus the Rays this season ... Matsuzaka fell to 2-8 lifetime
against Tampa Bay ... Keppinger had three hits.
09/20 02:18:20 ET
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