The Red Sox have been gaining major ground on the Rays in the recent week or so, but there is one thing that they haven't done in around 3 months and that is actually win a game against the team they were chasing, the Tampa Bay Rays. After being swept in the Trop in Tampa in early July, the Sox have had to wait 2 months to get revenge, but their meeting with the Rays, who have lead the division almost every day since their last meeting, couldn't have come at a better time or in a better place. The Red Sox have the momentum coming into the series, having gained 4 games in the standings over the last 6 games, setting them in a position where they could overtake the Rays with a sweep, and the have the homefield. The Red Sox have won all 6 of the meetings between them and the Rays in Fenway, which is where this game would be played in front of their new Major League record 456th straight sellout crowd.
The pitching matchup was a good one, as you'd expect between two teams like this, as the Red Sox sent their most consistent starter to the mound, Jon Lester, against the Rays' Edwin Jackson, who had an ERA in the low 4s coming into to tonight. The Red Sox got to Edwin Jackson early, scoring 3 in the first off of a David Ortiz RBI double, a Kevin Youkilis RBI single, and a Jason Bay RBI solo homerun out into the sellout crowd. That would literally be all Jon Lester needed. If you were a fan of many runs being scored, you should have just shut the TV off after the first. Lester didn't give up a run in 7 and 2/3 shutout innings. Jackson regrouped after that rough first and didn't give up a run throughout his next 6 innings of work, to finish with a 4.06 ERA. However, the damage had been done. Lester was relieved by Papelbon, who got the 4 out save, his 36th of the year and the Red Sox took game 1 3-0 and moved within a half game of the Rays, with a chance to overtake them tomorrow.
Tomorrow's pitching matchup should be equally as good as 16-2 Daisuke Matsuzaka goes against Scot Kazmir, who is among the AL strikeout leaders. That game has a 7:05 Eastern time start.
Dustin Pedroia did not have a hit tonight, a rare occasion, but kept his lead on the AL batting title at .328, over the idle Milton Bradley. He has been the constant for the Red Sox. Ortiz missed 6 weeks. Lowell missed time too. Manny Ramirez quit midseason and is now a Dodger. Even Kevin Youkilis had injury problems. However, Pedroia has been out there almost every night performing in every role the Red Sox needed him in. He hit leadoff, 2nd, down in the order at one point, and even cleanup hitter, despite the fact that he is 5 foot 7. He has scored runs, drove in runs, stole bases on occasion, hit for average, and, especially lately, he has supplied the power. Add in what he means to the Red Sox as a clubhouse presence and you've got a solid case for MVP. Carlos Quentin, once an MVP favorite, got hurt and now it is a wide open race in the AL. Guys like Josh Hamilton and Grady Sizemore have had good years too, but on teams that could possibly finish will losing record. Hamilton is probably my favorite right now, because it is not his fault that the Rangers' pitching staff has been awful. However, Pedroia looks like a pretty good candidate and I wouldn't mind, in fact I would like, if the defending Rookie of the Year Pedroia were to win this award. He is really is an amazing story as a little guy (5-7 165) who had been doubted all his life in the game of baseball, struggled his first month of his career, but just kept talking and energizing his team from the locker room.
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