With Josh Beckett tossing eight innings on 95 pitches, allowing just three hits (one a homer), the game was reminiscent of last Wednesday's 14-inning Tampa Bay victory in which the same two starters dueled to a 1-1 standoff. Andy Sonnanstine was just as good last night as he was a week ago. Beckett was even better, an excellent sign for a team that will need its ace at ace level in the postseason.
"It's actually exciting," said Sox manager Terry Francona, praising specifically Beckett's breaking ball. "Tonight we're not jumping around because we lost, but he looks very healthy."
That seemed an understatement. But the dominant performance by Beckett notwithstanding - he might have lasted longer had he not experienced the recent elbow problems - the Rays found their groove (and the support of 32,079 in attendance) in the bottom of the ninth. With Masterson on the mound, the Rays loaded the bases with one out on an 0-and-2 pitch that found more of Cliff Floyd's leg than it did of home plate.
It had already been an odd inning, with Bartlett blooping one into right field and Carlos Pena being given an ex tra strike on his eventual walk.
After Evan Longoria struck out looking, up came Floyd, then Navarro, while Masterson was looking for his trademark sinker to get the inning-ending double play. But the most bizarre moment had to be when Hideki Okajima's wild pitch eluded his catcher in the bullpen in foul territory, the ball finding its way to the infield and nullifying a swinging strike by Pena on a 1-and-1 count.
"I was hoping they didn't [see it] after he missed," Francona said. No luck there.
It was Masterson's job to get out of the jam, even with Okajima as an option. Francona said Okajima was not going to come into the game in that situation.
"We had guys up because it didn't seem like a reason not to," he said, "but I think Justin is our best chance to get the ball on the ground, and in a very limited sample, he had handled Floyd [0 for 3, two strikeouts]."
