TOO CLOSE

What looked to be shaping up to be an easy and potentially Flawless Victory on the 4th of July got a bit too close for my liking. A win's a win, but our 7-5 victory over the D-Rays shouldn't have been nearly as dramatic as it was.

Quite frankly, wins like this one fail to impress me. It's Tampa Bay, for Pedro's sake. Not only is it Tampa Bay, it's Tampa Bay ON A LOSING STREAK. And when you notice a Tampa Bay losing streak, it must be wicked bad.

Edwin Jackson came into the game with a 1-8 record and a 6.88 ERA. Knocking him around and scoring some runs off of him is hardly awe inspiring. It's what we should have done. We did it, and thankfully we didn't just settle for 4 or 5 runs.

Mike Lowell's 2 run homer in the 5th proved to be the difference in the game. It was only the 2nd long ball for the Sox during this homestand. Wakefield gave up a string of hits to begin the 7th, then Lopez was brought in to face lefty Carl Crawford, who promptly hit a 2 run double. Carlos Pena hit a 2 run single, and it was suddenly a 7-5 game. The only hitter Lopez retired was righty Brendan Harris.

Lefties are hitting .273 off Lopez. Righties are hitting .219.

Manny Delcarmen came in to save the day, though. He left Pena stranded in the 7th, and pitched a hitless 8th to give the ball to Papelbon in the 9th.

Man of the Game was Manny Delcarmen. 1.1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, a walk, and 3 strikeouts.

Honorable Mentions:
Tim Wakefield: 6.1 IP, 4 ER (3 scored with Lopez on the mound)
Jonathan Papelbon: IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K
Carl Crawford: 3/5, 2 RBI, 2B, Run

The Yankees lost, as did Toronto. The Sox have an 11.5 game lead over the Blue Jays, and a 12 game lead over New York.

Didn't you miss the Devil Rays?