G136: White Sox 4, Red Sox 2

White Sox - 200 001 001 - 4  9  0
Red Sox   - 000 100 001 - 2  8  0

A lack of timely hitting spelled doom for Boston today. They left the bases loaded in the first, and left men on second and third in both the second and fourth innings.

Wakefield allowed a two-run dong to Thome in the first and Thome and Konkero hit back-to-back doubles in the sixth. The Red Sox rallied in the ninth, but Pedroia flew out to left with the tying runs at (once again) second and third.

Tampa Bay improved its AL East lead to 5.5 games over the Red Sox by beating Baltimore 10-4. Toronto beat New York 6-2, dropping the Yankees 12.5 GB Tampa and only two games out of fourth place. Minnesota is now 2.5 GB Boston in the WC after beating Oakland 12-4.

***

Gavin Floyd (3.70, 122 ERA+) / Tim Wakefield (3.73, 121 ERA+)

Dustin Pedroia became the first Red Sox player since Wade Boggs (June 8 and 10, 1989) to collect four hits in back-to-back games.

FY batted fourth last night. Terry Francona: "I'll never hear the end of this from Pedroia or Ortiz. Pedroia says it's long overdue and Ortiz says he's retiring." ... Asked after the game if he had created a monster by batting Pedroia cleanup, Francona said: "He already is a monster."

He's 12-for-17 (.706) in his last four games. Since August 12 (16 games), Pedroia is hitting .423/.468/.761. In 25 games since August 1, he's hitting .378/.426/.649.

FY:

I told David he better quit bitching about getting pitches to hit, because he got plenty tonight.

In his second start since being demoted to AA, Clay Buchholz dominated New Hampshire: 8-2-0-1-10.

OOT: Blue Jays/Yankees at 1, Orioles/Rays at 1:30, Twins/Athletics at 4.

East

Tampa Bay   83  51  .619   --- 
Boston      79  56  .585   4.5
New York    72  63  .533  11.5
Toronto     69  66  .511  14.5
Baltimore   63  72  .467  20.5

WC

Boston      79  56  .585   ---
Minnesota   76  60  .559   3.5
New York    72  63  .533   7.0
Toronto     69  66  .511  10.0