Red Averages 4, Devil Rays 0. The afternoon game is in the books. Boston has won 5 in a row, 8 of 9, 10 of 12; they have the best record in baseball: 14-6. Box.

Red Sox opponents have not scored in 32 innings (and have scored only 4 runs in 48 innings):

0423 New York:  000 000 200

0424 New York:  000 100 100 000

0425 New York:  000 000 000

0428 Tampa Bay: 000 000 000

0429 Tampa Bay: 000 000 000

David Ortiz is apparently close to signing a contract extension. A bit of the Babelfish translation (of this):

"The agents of David Ortiz and the main executives of the Red Averages every time are next to the culmination of a pact that will maintain by several years to the player in the equipment. ... 'Everything shines to indicate that I will remain here by many years in Boston. My lawyers almost are concluding an agreement by several temporadas', said the strong batter. Ortiz is very optimistic of which the multiannual contract by several million dollars will be crystallized in a moment. ... In his race of big leaguer, he has dispatched two quadrangular ones in a party during eight occasions. He has a quadrangular one with the bases full. And in three opportunities leaving to bat of emergent he has shot of home run. ... The year last David Ortiz had a magnificent campaign, mediating for 288, with 31 quadrangular, 101 towed races, with 39 doubles, writing down 79 times. And to the field he returned to play the wonder, just by an error."

Well, there you have it! ... Ortiz belted another quadrangular this afternoon, crushing a 3-0 pitch from Victor Zambrano into the center field bleachers. He also doubled twice (and walked) to extend his consecutive games with an extra-base hit to nine. ... Tampa pitchers struck out 13 Boston batters: Manny (3), Mirabelli (3), Millar (3), Bellhorn (2) Crespo and Mueller. In Ramirez's first 2 AB, he saw 7 pitches (6 strikes) and did not swing at any of them. Yuk.

The day's big story was Byung-Hyun Kim. He looked sharp for five inning (70 pitches), allowing only one walk and one hit -- to consecutive batters in the 2nd inning, Jose Cruz and Tino Martinez. Two other Devil Rays reached on errors, including Carl Crawford, who then stole second and took third on a wild pitch. He was the first batter of the game and the only Devil Ray Kim allowed past first base. ... Tim Wakefield (2 innings), Mike Timlin (1.1) and Alan Embree (.2) carried the Sox the rest of the way, extending the bullpen's scoreless innings streak to 30.2.

Boston has pitched three straight shutouts eight other times in team history. The last time was August 24-26, 1990 when the Red Sox beat the Blue Jays in Toronto 2-0, 1-0 and 1-0.

Lowe/Moss at 7:05 pm.