G152: Rays 10, Red Sox 3

Red Sox - 200 100 000 -  3  6  2
Rays    - 323 000 02x - 10 12  0

The Rays took batting practice against Wakefield, who lasted only 51 pitches, and dropped the Red Sox to 2 GB. Tampa Bay now holds the divisional tiebreaker (having won 10 of the 18 games played between the two teams), so Boston needs to make up three games in the standings to win the AL East.

The night started off with a bang, as Jacoby Ellsbury singled to left and David Ortiz cranked a one-out, two-run dong to right-center.

But the fun was short-lived. In the home half of the first, Akinora Iwamura singled and stole second, Jason Bartlett singled and stole second, Carlos Pena hit a sacrifice fly and Willy Aybar knocked a two-run homer -- and Tampa led 3-2.

In the second, the Rays' #8 and #9 batters -- Gabe Gross and Fernando Perez -- cranked back-to-back home runs. And when Evan Longoria doubled with one out in the third, Terry Francona had seen enough. Tito ended up using four pitchers in that inning: Wakefield, Devern Hansack, Javier Lopez and David Aardsma. Boston used a total of eight pitchers tonight.

Ortiz led off the fourth by launching a moon shot to right-center; it looked like it hit maybe one-third of the way up the big video scoreboard! But that was it for the Red Sox's offense. They got a couple of guys on with two outs in the fifth, but Tiz flew to center, and they wasted Kevin Youkilis's leadoff double in the sixth.

Both the Twins and White Sox lost. Cleveland beat Minnesota 6-4 and the Yankees beat Chicago 5-1. Boston remains 7 GA in the wild card -- with 10 games to play.

Remember: We are going to the playoffs this year -- most likely meeting up with the Angels -- while the Yankees are fighting tooth and nail to not finish in fourth place.

***

Tim Wakefield (3.92, 116 ERA+) / Matt Garza (3.60, 120 ERA+)

Tony Massarotti, Globe:

The schedule will tell you that the Red Sox will leave Tampa tonight with 10 games remaining on their schedule, so anything can still happen. The reality is that the Red Sox had better win tonight if they want to repeat as champions of the American League East.

Why? Click here.

Now ...
***

White Sox/Yankees at 7
Twins/Cleveland at 7

East                     Magic #
Rays       89  60   ---
Red Sox    89  62   1.0    12
Blue Jays  80  71   9.0     3
Yankees    80  71   9.0     3
Orioles    67  82  22.0     E
  
Wild Card                Magic #
Red Sox    89  62   ---
Twins      82  69   7.0     5
Blue Jays  80  71   9.0     3
Yankees    80  71   9.0     3