G151: Rays 2, Red Sox 1

Red Sox - 000 001 000 - 1  5  0
Rays    - 000 000 101 - 2  5  1

This was a tough loss to take after Beckett (8-3-1-1-7, 95) and Sonnanstine (6-3-1-2-5, 93) locked horns in another duel.

Justin Masterson came in for the ninth, as Beckett is still on a bit of a pitch count leash. Jason Bartlett blooped an 0-2 pitch over Kevin Youkilis into short right field to start things off. On a 1-1 pitch, Carlos Pena swung and missed, but the strike was disallowed, as the umpires said a ball had rolled onto the infield grass (from the left field bullpen, I suppose).

However, the replay showed the ball rolling into view while Masterson was getting the ball back from Jason Varitek, well after Pena's swing. There was no way Pena could have been distracted. So with the count back to 1-1, Masterson fell behind 3-1, got a swing and miss, then walked Pena on a close inside pitch.

Evan Longoria struck out looking for the first out. Masterson quickly got ahead of Cliff Floyd 0-2 before hitting him in the front foot, a wild pitch that loaded the bases and put the potential winning run at third. Both the infield and outfield played in. Masterson's 2-2 pitch to Dioner Navarro seemed to have little bite or movement, and he cranked it over Coco Crisp's head in center for the game-winning single.

The Red Sox are back to 1 GB. ... The White Sox beat the Yankees 6-2. Cleveland beat the Twins 12-9 in 11 innings. Minnesota stays 7 GB Boston in the wild card race.

***

Josh Beckett (4.10, 111 ERA+) / Andy Sonnanstine (4.47, 97 ERA+)

Ellsbury, LF      Iwamura, 2B
Pedroia, 2B       Bartlett, SS
Ortiz, DH         Pena, 1B
Youkilis, 1B      Longoria, 3B
Lowell, 3B        Floyd, DH 
Kotsay, RF        Navarro, C
Lowrie, SS        Hinske, LF
Varitek, C        Gross, RF
Crisp, CF         Perez, CF

Beckett has made two starts since getting a clean bill of health regarding his shoulder:

           IP   H   R  ER  BB   K  PIT
0905 @TEX   5   4   0   0   0   7   80
0910  TBR   6   6   1   1   2   7   84
           11  10   1   1   2  14

Sonnanstine, who also started that game last Wednesday, was a little bit better (7-4-1-0-7, and the run was unearned) as the Rays won in 14 innings.

***

White Sox/Yankees at 7
Twins/Cleveland at 7

East                     Magic #
Rays       88  60   ---
Red Sox    89  61   ---    14
Blue Jays  80  70   9.0     4
Yankees    80  70   9.0     4
Orioles    66  82  22.5     E
  
Wild Card                Magic #
Rays       88  60   ---
Red Sox    89  61   ---
Twins      82  68   7.0     6
Blue Jays  80  70   9.0     4
Yankees    80  70   9.0     4
  
White Sox  83  66   5.0     8
Lead AL Central by 1.5