G118: White Sox 6, Red Sox 5

Red Sox   - 300 002 000 - 5  7  2
White Sox - 014 010 00x - 6  9  2

I wasn't able to watch much of this one, but after Mike Lowell's three-run home run in the first, there wasn't much to see.

Buchholz lasted only three innings (3-7-5-2-4, 74). Down by one run, Boston loaded the bases in the seventh on three consecutive walks, but Dotel came in to get Lowell to hit into a double play and end the potential rally.

Los Angeles capped their first sweep of New York at home in 13 years with a 4-3 walk-off win (Chone Figgins's single off Mariano Rivera scored Howie Kendrick). Tampa beat Seattle 11-3 for their 71st win, a franchise record.

The Red Sox are 4.5 GB the Rays, while the Yankees fell to 8.5 GB.

***

Clay Buchholz (5.94, 75 ERA+) / Gavin Floyd (3.66, 122 ERA+)

Buchholz has a 6.59 ERA in his five starts since being recalled from Pawtucket. ... Last Tuesday, Floyd went only four innings against the Tigers, allowing five runs on eight hits and two walks.

Boston has been either 3 GB or 3.5 GB for the last nine days. Since July 30, the Sox and Rays have mirrored each other almost identically:

Rays    - WxWWWLWWLWW
Red Sox - LxWWWLWWxLW

Tampa Bay has won 70 games this year -- tying a franchise record set in 2004. They have 46 chances to set a new record. ... Roughly halfway through a soft early August schedule -- Cleveland, Seattle, Oakland, Texas -- the Rays are 4-2.

Yankees/Angels at 3:30 PM and Rays/Mariners at 4 PM

***

This date in baseball history:

1904 - Jack Chesbro [Highlanders] is knocked out by the White Sox after pitching 30 complete games in a row.

1944 - Red Barrett of the Boston Braves throws only 58 pitches and shuts out the Cincinnati Reds 2-0. This is the major-league record for fewest pitches in a nine-inning game. The game takes one hour, 15 minutes, the shortest night game ever.

1971 - Sixteen baseball researchers at Cooperstown form the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), with founder Robert Davids as president.

1978 - The Red Sox trip the Indians, 6-5, in 13 innings as Butch Hobson scores the tying run on a bizarre play: He lofts a pop fly behind second base and races around to 2B as 2B Duane Kuiper loses the ball in the sun. Kuiper picks up the ball but bumps into 1B Andre Thornton and the ball rolls towards first base and C Bo Diaz. With Hobson motoring towards 3B, Diaz overthrows the base. Hobson, having slid into the third, picks himself up and races home. The throw from the outfield is in time to Diaz, but he can't get the ball out of his glove and a sliding Hobson is home free. A George Scott double and Rick Burleson single then wins the game. [box]

1999 - The Red Sox defeat the Royals, 9-6, as Boston P Tim Wakefield ties a major league record by striking out four batters in the 9th inning. [box]