G84: Rays 3, Red Sox 2

Red Sox - 000 100 001 - 2  6  0
Rays    - 001 010 01x - 3  7  1

Our weak roster and bench may be having its effect -- finally.

Kevin Youkilis left the game with "right ankle pain" before his fourth inning at-bat -- and Niuman Romero became our cleanup hitter for the final six innings.

Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon took full advantage -- walking David Ortiz (who had doubled in the first) intentionally in the 5th, 7th, and 9th innings to face Romero, whose major league career has so far consisted of being mostly a late-innings pinch-runner for Cleveland last season (only 14 PA in 10 games).

Romero batted with runners at 1st/2nd/2 outs in the 5th and flew out to left; 1st/2nd/2 outs in the 7th and grounded to first; and 1st/3rd/2 outs in the ninth -- the tying run was 90 feet away -- and grounded to second.

Not that the defeat can really be laid at the feet of Romero, since no one else in the lineup did much of anything against Niemann (6-4-1-3-5, 107; the run was unearned) and four relievers. Boston left 11 men on base and was 2-for-9 with RATS.

Doubront pitched very well once more (5.2-5-2-4-3, 100) but again ran out of gas in the 6th, leaving a lot of pitches up and allowing a single and three walks after getting the first out. No runs scored, but Terry Francona gambled by staying with Felix too long.

In the ninth, Bill Hall led off with a walk and, after Kevin Cash struck out and Marco Scutaro flied to center, took second on DI. Eric Patterson, who had struck out in his previous three at-bats, tripled to left-center, cutting the Rays' lead to 3-2. Needing only one out for the win, Maddon franked Flo and took his chances with Romero, who tapped an 0-1 pitch to second.

The Yankees beat the the A's 6-1, dropping Boston 3.5 GB.

Felix Doubront / Jeff Neimann

Scutaro, SS
Patterson, LF
Ortiz, DH
Youkilis, 1B
Beltre, 3B
Drew, RF
Nava, LF
Hall, 2B
Cash, C

Doubront makes his second career start. He faced the Dodgers on June 18 in his debut and did very well, retiring the side in order in the 1st, 2nd, and 4th innings and allowing only three hits, one walk, and one earned run through five innings. He ran out of gas in the 6th, and the first four Dodgers reached base. He got credit for the win, though, as Boston won 10-6.

The Yankees beat Oakland last night 3-1, so the Red Sox dropped back into third place, 2.5 GB. Yankees/A's at 10 PM.

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July 6:

1912 - Construction on Ebbets Field begins.

1929 - After losing 11 in a row, the Cardinals score 28 runs in the second game of a doubleheader, including two 10-run innings. St. Louis sets post-1900 National League records for most runs and most hits (28) in a game. The two teams combined for a record 73 hits in the doubleheader: Cardinals (43) and Phillies (30). (Jim Bottomley had 11 RBI.)