G13: Rays 8, Red Sox 2

Rays    - 105 200 000 - 8 12  0
Red Sox - 000 000 200 - 2  5  1

Lackey (3.1-9-8-1-3, 79) allowed 10 of his 19 batters to reach base, and eight of them scored.

The Red Sox had no chance in this one, though they did get at least one runner to second base in three of the first four innings. Jeremy Hermida hit a two-run home run to right, following Bill Hall's single (his first hit of the season), but because the baserunner was on first, Boston's hitless streak with runners in scoring position remains alive: 0 for their last 32.

Red Sox radio made a huge deal of the fact that this was the first time the Rays have ever swept a four-game series at Fenway Park. Of course, the Rays have played only 12 full seasons (so our dog Cody is older than the Rays franchise!).

A quick run through B-Ref gives me these as the only four-game series Tampa Bay has played in Boston:

Sep. 21-23, 1998:      L W L L
Apr. 16-19, 1999:      W L W W
Jun. 25-28, 2001:      L L W W
Jul. 23-25, 2002:      L W W L
Sep. 15-18, 2003:      L L W L
Aug.  9-12, 2004:      W L L L
Aug. 29-Sep. 1, 2005:  L L L L
May  25-28, 2006:      L L L L
Apr. 16-19, 2010:      W W W W

They lost the first game in six of the previous eight series, and in the other two, they dropped the second game. So they had never had any realistic shot at a four-game sweep until now.

Jeff Neimann / John Lackey

Not only have the Red Sox lost four straight games, they are 0-for-25 with runners in scoring position in those losses.

In five games since last Tuesday, they are 2-for-36 (.056) w/RISP.

It's Cody Day.

She's been with us 11 years.
The girl knows how to relax.