Boston (0-0) at Tampa Bay (0-0)

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bos

Beckett may lack heat, but not fire

Jason Beck / MLB.com
The Red Sox not only earned themselves another chance in the American League Championship Series, they earned another shot for Josh Beckett in the postseason. And that's a dangerous concept for an opponent.
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Red Sox probable pitcher

Josh Beckett

  • #19 RHP
  • (0-0) 16.62 ERA 5 SO
Beckett, who has built a reputation as a postseason hero, has been hit hard this October. Most recently, the Rays pounded him for nine hits and eight runs over 4 1/3 innings in Game 2. Beckett took the no-decision in that game, which the Red Sox lost in 11 innings. In Game 3 of the Division Series against the Angels, Beckett lasted just five innings, giving up nine hits and four runs. That was also a no-decision in an extra-inning loss. Lifetime in LCS play, Beckett 3-0 with a 4.30 ERA in six outings, five of which were starts. In the postseason, he is 6-2 with a 2.85 ERA.
  W-L ERA IP BB SO AVG
Career 89-62 3.78 1188.2 371 1131 .241
Season 12-10 4.03 174.1 34 172 .256
Vs. Tampa Bay 2-1 2.06 35.0 5 37 .209

Series at a Glance

Standings - 10/18/2008 W L PCT GB Home Away
Boston Red Sox (AL East) 95 67 .586 2.0 56-25 39-42
Tampa Bay Rays (AL East) 97 65 .599 - 57-24 40-41
Stats - 10/18/2008 AVG R HR RBI SB SO ERA IP H BB SO
BOS .280 845 173 807 120 1068 4.01 1446.1 1369 548 1185
TB .260 774 180 735 142 1224 3.82 1457.2 1349 526 1143
tb

None bigger than Shields' next start

Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com
James Shields is the Rays ace, and as he enters Game 6 with a World Series berth within reach, "Big Game James" is certainly getting a chance to live up to his nickname.
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Rays probable pitcher

James Shields

  • #33 RHP
  • (0-1) 2.45 ERA 6 SO
Shields got tagged with the loss in Game 1 of the ALCS despite a quality start that saw him allow two runs on six hits with two walks while striking out six in 7 1/3 innings. The 26-year-old right-hander's 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. He was originally scheduled to start Game 5, but manager Joe Maddon switched on the off day following Game 4.
  W-L ERA IP BB SO AVG
Career 32-24 3.96 554.2 114 448 .259
Season 14-8 3.56 215.0 40 160 .254
Vs. Boston 2-2 5.85 20.0 5 17 .256

Red Sox hitters vs James Shields
Regular Season stats only

  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. .333 9 1 1 .333 15 1 2
Ellsbury, Jacoby .100 10 0 0 .100 10 0 0
Hermida, Jeremy .333 3 0 0 .167 12 0 2
Iglesias, Jose - - - - - - - -
Kotchman, Casey .143 7 0 0 .222 9 0 0
Lowell, Mike .286 7 0 1 .385 13 0 1
Lowrie, Jed .000 3 0 0 .000 3 0 0
Martinez, Victor - - - - .167 6 0 1
Ortiz, David 1.000 3 0 2 .500 14 2 6
Pedroia, Dustin .500 10 0 1 .462 13 0 1
Reddick, Josh - - - - - - - -
Varitek, Jason .000 8 0 0 .100 10 0 1
Wagner, Mark - - - - - - - -
Youkilis, Kevin .000 7 0 0 .000 17 0 0

Rays hitters vs Josh Beckett
Regular Season stats only

  2008 2003-2007
Hitter AVG AB HR RBI AVG AB HR RBI
Aybar, Willy .667 3 0 1 .667 3 0 1
Bartlett, Jason .167 12 0 0 .333 18 0 0
Brignac, Reid - - - - - - - -
Burrell, Pat - - - - .179 28 0 0
Crawford, Carl .100 10 0 0 .261 23 0 0
Gross, Gabe .077 13 1 2 .077 13 1 2
Jaso, John - - - - - - - -
Jennings, Desmond - - - - - - - -
Johnson, Elliot - - - - - - - -
Joyce, Matt .000 3 0 0 .000 3 0 0
Kapler, Gabe - - - - - - - -
Lobaton, Jose - - - - - - - -
Longoria, Evan .333 12 1 2 .333 12 1 2
Navarro, Dioner .143 14 0 0 .158 19 0 1
Pena, Carlos .250 12 1 1 .176 17 1 1
Perez, Fernando .000 3 0 0 .000 3 0 0
Riggans, Shawn - - - - .000 3 0 1
Rodriguez, Sean - - - - - - - -
Ruggiano, Justin - 0 0 0 - 0 0 0
Upton, B.J. .000 6 0 0 .250 12 0 0
Zobrist, Ben - - - - - - - -

Red Sox catch some Rays (3-3) (3-3)

Red Sox 4, Rays 2

One for the show

Ian Browne / MLB.com
The Sox have again saved their playoff best for last, using solo homers from Jason Varitek and Kevin Youkilis, plus an RBI single by red-hot David Ortiz, to power past the Rays and force a Game 7 after trailing, 3-1, in the AL Championship Series.

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Series at a Glance

 

Pushed to the limit

Bill Chastain / MLB.com
B.J. Upton's seventh homer of the postseason got the Rays rolling early, but they couldn't hold off the hard-charging Red Sox. Jason Bartlett went deep in the fifth to tie the game before Boston went ahead for good to set up a winner-take-all Game 7.
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Red Sox 4, Rays 2

BostonABRHRBIBBSOLOBAVG
Crisp, CF4130100.500
Pedroia, 2B4100112.333
Ortiz, DH4021110.174
Youkilis, 3B5112015.370
Drew, RF4020100.286
Bay, LF3000102.286
Kotsay, 1B5010004.269
Lowrie, SS3000112.118
Varitek, C4111004.063
Totals3641046419 

BATTING
2B: Ortiz (1, Shields), Drew (1, Shields).
HR: Youkilis (2, 2nd inning off Shields, 0 on, 0 out), Varitek (1, 6th inning off Shields, 0 on, 2 out).
TB: Crisp 3; Ortiz 3; Youkilis 4; Drew 3; Kotsay; Varitek 4.
RBI: Youkilis 2 (6), Varitek (1), Ortiz (4).
2-out RBI: Varitek; Ortiz.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Varitek 3; Kotsay 2; Bay; Youkilis.
GIDP: Youkilis.
Team LOB: 12.

BASERUNNING
PO: Crisp (1st base by Shields).

FIELDING
DP: (Lowrie-Pedroia-Kotsay).
 
Tampa BayABRHRBIBBSOLOBAVG
Iwamura, 2B4000022.200
Upton, CF4111002.375
Pena, C, 1B3000111.318
Longoria, 3B3000101.250
Crawford, LF4010011.385
Floyd, DH2000011.200
  b-Aybar, W, PH-DH2000000.375
Navarro, C3010000.174
Gross, RF1000010.000
  a-Zobrist, PH-RF2000001.000
Bartlett, SS1111000.250
Totals29242269 

a-Flied out for Gross in the 5th. b-Popped out for Floyd in the 7th.

BATTING
HR: Upton (4, 1st inning off Beckett, 0 on, 1 out), Bartlett (1, 5th inning off Beckett, 0 on, 2 out).
TB: Upton 4; Crawford; Navarro; Bartlett 4.
RBI: Upton (11), Bartlett (1).
2-out RBI: Bartlett.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Floyd.
GIDP: Longoria.
Team LOB: 4.

BASERUNNING
SB: Crawford (3, 2nd base off Beckett/Varitek).
CS: Navarro (1, 2nd base by Beckett/Varitek).

FIELDING
E: Bartlett (1, throw).
PB: Navarro (1).
DP: (Longoria-Iwamura-Pena, C).
Pickoffs: Shields (Crisp at 1st base).
 
BostonIPHRERBBSOHRERA
Beckett (W, 1-0)5.04221329.64
Okajima (H, 2)2.00001100.00
Masterson (H, 2)1.00000101.59
Papelbon (S, 2)1.00000100.00
 
Tampa BayIPHRERBBSOHRERA
Shields (L, 0-2)5.29433323.46
Howell 1.01000103.60
Balfour 0.100020019.29
Bradford 1.20001003.00
Miller 0.10000000.00

Balfour pitched to 1 batter in the 8th.

IBB: Ortiz (by Bradford).
HBP: Bartlett (by Beckett), Bartlett (by Masterson), Bay (by Howell).
Pitches-strikes: Beckett 78-50, Okajima 32-20, Masterson 18-12, Papelbon 8-7, Shields 108-64, Howell 23-13, Balfour 18-7, Bradford 14-6, Miller 1-1.
Groundouts-flyouts: Beckett 6-5, Okajima 1-4, Masterson 0-2, Papelbon 1-1, Shields 3-10, Howell 1-1, Balfour 0-1, Bradford 4-1, Miller 0-1.
Batters faced: Beckett 19, Okajima 7, Masterson 4, Papelbon 3, Shields 28, Howell 6, Balfour 3, Bradford 5, Miller 1.
Inherited runners-scored: Howell 1-1, Balfour 1-0, Bradford 1-0.
Umpires: HP: Derryl Cousins. 1B: Tim McClelland. 2B: Sam Holbrook. 3B: Brian O'Nora. LF: Brian Gorman. RF: Alfonso Marquez.
Weather: 72 degrees, dome.
Wind: Indoors.
T: 3:48.
Att: 40,947.
October 18, 2008

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