Tampa Bay (1-1) at Boston (1-1)

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Garza looks to deliver series victory

Bill Chastain / MLB.com
The Rays hope to leave Boston on a winning note Wednesday afternoon when Matt Garza takes the mound for his first start of the season.
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Rays probable pitcher

Matt Garza

  • #22 RHP
  • (0-0) -.-- ERA 0 SO
Garza has the best stuff on the Rays staff, which he put on display while claiming MVP honors during last season's American League Championship Series -- particularly in Game 7 when he shut down the Red Sox to claim the win. At age 25, the right-hander seems to be maturing on the mound, where he has experienced problems controlling his emotions in the past. The one thing he has lacked is consistency, as he has been either lights-out or didn't have it. He needs to better learn how to win when he doesn't have his best stuff. Garza is 3-1 with a 3.86 ERA in six career starts against the Red Sox; he is 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA in three career starts at Fenway Park.
  W-L ERA IP BB SO AVG
Career 19-22 4.02 317.2 114 233 .267

Series at a Glance

Standings - 04/09/2009 W L PCT GB Home Away
Tampa Bay Rays (AL East) 1 1 .500 1.0 0-0 1-1
Boston Red Sox (AL East) 1 1 .500 1.0 1-1 0-0
Stats - 04/09/2009 AVG R HR RBI SB SO ERA IP H BB SO
TB .242 10 2 8 3 20 3.71 17.0 17 7 11
BOS .258 7 2 7 0 11 5.00 18.0 16 6 20
bos

Dice-K set to make season debut

Ian Browne / MLB.com
The Red Sox need no refresher courses when it comes to the man they will face in the finale of this three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday.
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Red Sox probable pitcher

Daisuke Matsuzaka

  • #18 RHP
  • (0-0) -.-- ERA 0 SO
Dice-K didn't win any contests for pitching artistry last year, but he got the job done, finishing fourth in the American League Cy Young Award voting. The Red Sox hope for more control and efficiency out of Matsuzaka this year, as he walked 94 batters in 167 2/3 innings. However, he led the Majors in opponents batting average, limiting them to .211. He was fifth in the American League with 8.27 strikeouts per nine innings. Matsuzaka is 17-7 with a 4.10 ERA in 30 career starts at Fenway. He is 2-3 with a 3.75 ERA in eight starts against the Rays.
  W-L ERA IP BB SO AVG
Career 33-15 3.72 372.1 174 355 .230

Rays hitters vs Daisuke Matsuzaka

  2009 2004-2008
Hitter AVG AB HR RBI AVG AB HR RBI
Aybar, Willy - - - - .333 6 0 1
Bartlett, Jason - - - - .143 14 0 1
Brignac, Reid - - - - - - - -
Burrell, Pat - - - - - - - -
Crawford, Carl - - - - .214 14 0 0
Gross, Gabe - - - - .333 6 0 0
Jaso, John - - - - - - - -
Jennings, Desmond - - - - - - - -
Johnson, Elliot - - - - - - - -
Joyce, Matt - - - - .250 4 1 1
Kapler, Gabe - - - - - - - -
Lobaton, Jose - - - - - - - -
Longoria, Evan - - - - .800 5 1 3
Navarro, Dioner - - - - .167 18 1 2
Pena, Carlos - - - - .333 18 1 4
Perez, Fernando - - - - .500 2 0 0
Riggans, Shawn - - - - .333 3 1 1
Rodriguez, Sean - - - - - - - -
Ruggiano, Justin - - - - - - - -
Upton, B.J. - - - - .077 13 1 2
Zobrist, Ben - - - - .000 6 0 0

Red Sox hitters vs Matt Garza

  2009 2004-2008
Hitter AVG AB HR RBI AVG AB HR RBI
Anderson, Brian - - - - .400 5 0 0
Bates, Aaron - - - - - - - -
Brown, Dusty - - - - .500 2 0 1
Drew, J.D. - - - - .158 19 1 4
Ellsbury, Jacoby - - - - .313 32 0 1
Hermida, Jeremy - - - - .200 5 0 0
Iglesias, Jose - - - - - - - -
Kotchman, Casey - - - - .400 5 0 0
Lowell, Mike - - - - .150 20 1 2
Lowrie, Jed - - - - .000 6 0 0
Martinez, Victor - - - - .300 20 0 4
Ortiz, David - - - - .136 22 2 4
Pedroia, Dustin - - - - .206 34 2 3
Reddick, Josh - - - - .167 6 0 0
Varitek, Jason - - - - .133 15 0 2
Wagner, Mark - - - - - - - -
Youkilis, Kevin - - - - .261 23 1 1

Garza makes Sox shudder (2-1) (1-2)

Rays 4, Red Sox 3

Garza sizzles vs. Sox

Bill Chastain / MLB.com
Matt Garza continued his dominance of the Red Sox, allowing just one run over seven innings. Matt Joyce, Evan Longoria and Shawn Riggans each went deep, but Tampa Bay had to hold off a late rally from Boston to depart Fenway Park with a series victory.

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Series at a Glance

 
Matt Garza recorded five strikeouts in his first start of the season. (Jim Rogash/Getty)

Rally comes up short

Mike Petraglia / Special to MLB.com
Daisuke Matsuzaka yielded three early homers, but the Red Sox wouldn't go down quietly vs. the Rays. Trailing by two runs in the ninth, Jason Varitek went deep and Boston brought the game-winning run to the plate, but Kevin Youkilis flied out to end the threat.
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Rays 4, Red Sox 3

Tampa Bay AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG
Iwamura, 2B 4 1 1 0 1 2 1 .500
Crawford, LF 5 0 0 0 0 1 3 .308
Longoria, 3B 5 1 3 2 0 1 1 .429
Pena, C, 1B 2 0 1 0 3 0 1 .200
Aybar, W, DH 3 0 1 0 2 2 3 .333
Joyce, CF 3 1 1 1 0 0 3 .143
  a-Burrell, PH 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .125
  1-Zobrist, PR-RF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Gross, RF 3 0 0 0 1 0 2 .000
  b-Kapler, PH-CF 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 .250
Riggans, C 4 1 1 1 0 0 3 .250
Bartlett, SS 4 0 1 0 0 1 0 .400
Totals 35 4 10 4 7 7 20  

a-Singled for Joyce in the 9th. b-Flied out for Gross in the 9th.
1-Ran for Burrell in the 9th.

BATTING
2B: Longoria (2, Matsuzaka), Bartlett (1, Matsuzaka), Aybar, W (1, Matsuzaka), Iwamura (2, Matsuzaka).
HR: Joyce (1, 2nd inning off Matsuzaka, 0 on, 0 out), Longoria (2, 3rd inning off Matsuzaka, 1 on, 1 out), Riggans (1, 4th inning off Matsuzaka, 0 on, 1 out).
TB: Iwamura 2; Longoria 7; Pena, C; Aybar, W 2; Joyce 4; Burrell; Riggans 4; Bartlett 2.
RBI: Joyce (1), Longoria 2 (5), Riggans (1).
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Aybar, W; Crawford; Riggans 2; Longoria; Kapler 2.
GIDP: Pena, C; Gross.
Team RISP: 2-for-11.
Team LOB: 12.

BASERUNNING
SB: Iwamura (2, 2nd base off Matsuzaka/Varitek).

FIELDING
E: Riggans (1, throw), Pena, C (1, throw).
 
Boston AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG
Ellsbury, CF 4 0 1 0 1 2 0 .154
Pedroia, 2B 5 0 0 0 0 1 2 .167
Ortiz, D, DH 3 0 0 0 2 1 2 .222
Youkilis, 1B 4 2 3 0 1 0 1 .667
Drew, J, RF 4 0 0 0 0 0 6 .143
Bay, LF 3 0 1 1 1 0 0 .300
Lowell, 3B 4 0 1 1 0 0 1 .182
  1-Green, N, PR-3B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Lowrie, SS 4 0 0 0 0 2 3 .091
Varitek, C 4 1 1 1 0 0 1 .167
Totals 35 3 7 3 5 6 16  


1-Ran for Lowell in the 8th.

BATTING
2B: Youkilis (2, Garza), Lowell (2, Nelson, J).
3B: Bay (1, Garza).
HR: Varitek (2, 9th inning off Percival, 0 on, 0 out).
TB: Ellsbury; Youkilis 4; Bay 3; Lowell 2; Varitek 4.
RBI: Bay (3), Lowell (2), Varitek (2).
2-out RBI: Lowell.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Drew, J 2; Lowrie 3.
Team RISP: 2-for-8.
Team LOB: 10.

BASERUNNING
SB: Ellsbury (1, 2nd base off Garza/Riggans).

FIELDING
DP: 2 (Pedroia-Lowrie-Youkilis, Ramirez, R-Lowrie-Youkilis).
 
Tampa Bay IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Garza (W, 1-0) 7.0 4 1 1 3 5 0 1.29
Shouse (H, 1) 0.2 1 1 1 0 0 0 13.50
Nelson, J (H, 1) 0.1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0.00
Percival (S, 1) 1.0 1 1 1 1 0 1 9.00
 
Boston IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Matsuzaka (L, 0-1) 5.1 9 4 4 3 5 3 6.75
Delcarmen 1.0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0.00
Ramirez, R 1.2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.00
Okajima 0.2 1 0 0 2 1 0 18.00
Masterson 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00

WP: Matsuzaka.
IBB: Gross (by Matsuzaka).
HBP: Joyce (by Matsuzaka).
Pitches-strikes: Garza 106-63, Shouse 12-7, Nelson, J 15-7, Percival 22-11, Matsuzaka 100-60, Delcarmen 25-12, Ramirez, R 13-9, Okajima 30-16, Masterson 4-2.
Groundouts-flyouts: Garza 3-13, Shouse 2-0, Nelson, J 0-0, Percival 1-2, Matsuzaka 6-5, Delcarmen 1-2, Ramirez, R 3-1, Okajima 0-1, Masterson 0-1.
Batters faced: Garza 29, Shouse 3, Nelson, J 3, Percival 5, Matsuzaka 28, Delcarmen 5, Ramirez, R 4, Okajima 5, Masterson 1.
Inherited runners-scored: Nelson, J 1-1, Delcarmen 1-0, Ramirez, R 2-0, Masterson 3-0.
Umpires: HP: Jeff Nelson. 1B: Mark Carlson. 2B: Tim Tschida. 3B: Bob Davidson.
Weather: 58 degrees, sunny.
Wind: 12 mph, Out to CF.
T: 3:39.
Att: 37,784.
April 9, 2009

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