G27: Rays 3, Red Sox 0

Red Sox - 000 000 000 - 0  2  2
Rays    - 001 000 11x - 3  5  0

Who would have thought that after a month that began with a three-country road trip, and included five games against the Yankees and series against contenders Cleveland, the Angels and the Tigers, that the worst stretch would come in three games against the Tampa Bay Rays?

After wilting against Sheilds's 9-2-0-1-7 performance (he faced only 29 batters and threw 98 pitches), the Red Sox have now lost five games in a row (after winning 10 of 11). In their last 23 innings, they have nine hits -- all singles -- and have scored one run.

Beckett was the lone bright spot today. In seven innings, he struck out a career-high 13 batters. He fanned the first five Rays and got the nine of his first 10 outs by way of the K.

But Beckett's third-inning error on an attempted pickoff play at first base rolled into foul territory and Jason Bartlett was able to score from first (aided by a second error by J.D. Drew). That one run was enough for Shields, but Evan Longoria homered to open the seventh and Tampa tacked on an extra run against MDC in the eighth.

***

Josh Beckett (5.12, 88 ERA+) / James Shields (3.30, 131 ERA+)

Ellsbury, LF
Pedroia, 2B
Drew, RF
Ramirez, DH
Youkilis, 1B
Crisp, CF
Varitek, C
Lowrie, 3B
Lugo, SS

On this date in 2002, Derek Lowe pitched a no-hitter against Tampa Bay (10-0).