Tampa Bay (16-13) at Boston (18-13)

TV: FSN | Radio: WHNZ 1250, WGES 680 7:05 pm ET Fenway Park TV: NESN | Radio: WRKO 680, SBN 1150
tb

Shields seeks repeat performance

Bill Chastain / MLB.com
Facing the same team twice in less than a week can present problems for any pitcher. James Shields, who pitched a two-hit shutout the last time he faced the Red Sox, draws Boston for the second time in a week when he starts for the Rays on Saturday night at Fenway Park.
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Rays probable pitcher

James Shields

  • RHP
  • (3-1) 2.54 ERA
Rays: Shields faced just 29 hitters Sunday against the Red Sox, limiting the world champions to two hits and a walk, while throwing just 98 pitches en route to a two-hit shutout. Shields' best pitch has always been his changeup, but he also has a plus fastball and curve and he's added a cutter that has helped him throw inside to left-handers. Shields is 0-1 with a 1.54 ERA in one start at Fenway Park.
  W-L ERA IP BB SO AVG
Career 21-17 4.04 378.2 83 316 .260
Season 3-1 2.54 39.0 9 28 .243
Vs. Boston 1-0 0.00 9.0 1 7 .071

Series at a Glance

Standings - 05/03/2008 W L PCT GB Home Away
Tampa Bay Rays (AL East) 16 13 .552 1.0 10-7 6-6
Boston Red Sox (AL East) 18 13 .581 - 12-5 6-8
Stats - 05/03/2008 AVG R HR RBI SB SO ERA IP H BB SO
TB .255 137 29 131 28 208 3.75 257.0 231 95 168
BOS .281 143 25 137 21 192 4.17 274.0 248 132 221
bos

Sox pass pitching baton to Beckett

Ian Browne / MLB.com
Starting pitching can be every bit as contagious as hitting. For proof of that, just take a look at what has been happening in the Red Sox's rotation of late. No matter who takes the mound, success seems to follow -- over the last six games, Boston starters have posted a 1.49 ERA, giving up seven runs and 21 hits over 42 1/3 innings.
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Red Sox probable pitcher

Josh Beckett

  • RHP
  • (2-2) 4.10 ERA
Red Sox: Boston's ace may have taken the loss in his last start, but the right-hander was dominating. Beckett had a career-high 13 strikeouts, allowing four hits and one earned run over seven innings on April 27. Minus a solo home run to Rays rookie Evan Longoria, Beckett kept the Rays batters in fits, issuing one walk over 26 batters faced. The right-hander will look to get his third win this season as he faces the Rays again, this time on his home turf.
  W-L ERA IP BB SO AVG
Career 79-54 3.74 1040.2 344 988 .237
Season 2-2 4.10 26.1 7 29 .189
Vs. Tampa Bay 0-1 1.29 7.0 1 13 .160

Rays hitters vs Josh Beckett

  2008 2003-2007
Hitter AVG AB HR RBI AVG AB HR RBI
Aybar, Willy - - - - .667 3 0 1
Bartlett, Jason .500 2 0 0 .333 18 0 0
Brignac, Reid - - - - - - - -
Burrell, Pat - - - - .179 28 0 0
Crawford, Carl .000 3 0 0 .261 23 0 0
Gross, Gabe .000 3 0 0 .077 13 1 2
Jaso, John - - - - - - - -
Jennings, Desmond - - - - - - - -
Johnson, Elliot - - - - - - - -
Joyce, Matt - - - - .000 3 0 0
Kapler, Gabe - - - - - - - -
Lobaton, Jose - - - - - - - -
Longoria, Evan .333 3 1 1 .333 12 1 2
Navarro, Dioner .000 3 0 0 .158 19 0 1
Pena, Carlos .333 3 0 0 .176 17 1 1
Perez, Fernando - - - - .000 3 0 0
Riggans, Shawn - - - - .000 3 0 1
Rodriguez, Sean - - - - - - - -
Ruggiano, Justin - - - - - 0 0 0
Upton, B.J. .000 3 0 0 .250 12 0 0
Zobrist, Ben - - - - - - - -

Red Sox hitters vs James Shields

  2008 2003-2007
Hitter AVG AB HR RBI AVG AB HR RBI
Anderson, Brian - - - - .333 3 0 1
Bates, Aaron - - - - - - - -
Brown, Dusty - - - - - - - -
Drew, J.D. .000 3 0 0 .333 15 1 2
Ellsbury, Jacoby .000 4 0 0 .100 10 0 0
Hermida, Jeremy - - - - .167 12 0 2
Iglesias, Jose - - - - - - - -
Kotchman, Casey - - - - .222 9 0 0
Lowell, Mike - - - - .385 13 0 1
Lowrie, Jed .000 3 0 0 .000 3 0 0
Martinez, Victor - - - - .167 6 0 1
Ortiz, David - - - - .500 14 2 6
Pedroia, Dustin .250 4 0 0 .462 13 0 1
Reddick, Josh - - - - - - - -
Varitek, Jason .000 3 0 0 .100 10 0 1
Wagner, Mark - - - - - - - -
Youkilis, Kevin .000 3 0 0 .000 17 0 0

Boston bats back Beckett (16-14) (19-13)

Red Sox 12, Rays 4

No repeat for Shields

Bill Chastain / MLB.com
James Shields, who fired a two-hit shutout against the Red Sox on Sunday, did not fare nearly as well in the rematch, giving up seven runs over just 3 2/3 innings. Gabe Gross and Akinori Iwamura both went deep and Evan Longoria added an RBI single.

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Series at a Glance

 

Sox pound out 15 hits

Mike Shalin / Special to MLB.com
Blanked by James Shields on Sunday, Boston avenged that loss, chasing Shields in the fourth after he gave up seven runs. Jason Varitek drove in three, while three others had two RBIs to support Josh Beckett, who tossed eight strong innings.
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Red Sox 12, Rays 4

Tampa BayABRHRBIBBSOLOBAVG
Iwamura, 2B4121000.214
Crawford, LF4000011.290
Hinske, DH4110021.280
Pena, C, 1B4010000.214
Longoria, 3B4011000.239
Navarro, C4120012.372
Gross, RF2112200.188
Haynes, CF4000015.244
Bartlett, SS3000000.232
  Cannizaro, SS1000002.000
Totals344842511 

BATTING
2B: Hinske (6, Beckett).
HR: Gross (1, 2nd inning off Beckett, 1 on, 2 out), Iwamura (2, 8th inning off Beckett, 0 on, 0 out).
TB: Iwamura 5; Hinske 2; Pena, C; Longoria; Navarro 2; Gross 4.
RBI: Gross 2 (5), Longoria (11), Iwamura (8).
2-out RBI: Gross 2.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Cannizaro.
Team LOB: 5.

FIELDING
Outfield assists: Gross (Varitek at 2nd base).
DP: (Iwamura-Pena, C).
 
BostonABRHRBIBBSOLOBAVG
Ellsbury, CF4220111.293
Pedroia, 2B5231001.316
  Lowrie, 2B0000000.286
Ortiz, DH5232011.216
Ramirez, M, LF3212213.322
Lowell, 3B5110015.220
Youkilis, 1B2111300.291
Drew, RF4222103.280
Varitek, C4013014.256
  Cash, C0000000.313
Lugo, SS5011023.288
Totals371215127721 

BATTING
2B: Ortiz 2 (4, Shields, Shields), Lugo (5, Shields), Pedroia (13, Shields), Lowell (4, Howell), Ellsbury (2, Miller), Drew (3, Dohmann).
TB: Ellsbury 3; Pedroia 4; Ortiz 5; Ramirez, M; Lowell 2; Youkilis; Drew 3; Varitek; Lugo 2.
RBI: Ortiz 2 (24), Ramirez, M 2 (22), Pedroia (17), Lugo (8), Varitek 3 (11), Youkilis (16), Drew 2 (15).
2-out RBI: Lugo; Varitek.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Varitek; Lowell; Ellsbury; Lugo 2; Ortiz.
GIDP: Varitek.
Team LOB: 9.

FIELDING
Outfield assists: Ramirez, M (Pena, C at home).
DP: (Ramirez, M-Varitek).
 
Tampa BayIPHRERBBSOHRERA
Shields (L, 3-2)3.210773303.80
Howell 2.12222103.79
Miller 1.01000202.08
Dohmann 1.02332105.27
 
BostonIPHRERBBSOHRERA
Beckett (W, 3-2)8.07441524.19
Aardsma 1.01001002.87

WP: Shields.
HBP: Varitek (by Howell).
Pitches-strikes: Shields 98-55, Howell 39-23, Miller 22-12, Dohmann 22-12, Beckett 100-68, Aardsma 28-15.
Groundouts-flyouts: Shields 5-3, Howell 6-0, Miller 0-1, Dohmann 0-1, Beckett 5-13, Aardsma 2-1.
Batters faced: Shields 24, Howell 11, Miller 4, Dohmann 6, Beckett 31, Aardsma 5.
Inherited runners-scored: Howell 2-1.
Umpires: HP: Bill Welke. 1B: Chris Guccione. 2B: Tim Welke. 3B: Chuck Meriwether.
Weather: 46 degrees, cloudy.
Wind: 10 mph, R to L.
T: 3:13.
Att: 37,700.
May 3, 2008

Box score official statistics approved by Major League Baseball Office of the Commissioner