"I just watched the ball go right under my glove," said Garza. "[Evan Longoria] came up to me afterward and said, 'It's over, so let's go get a double play.' "
It was the only hit allowed by Garza or reliever Grant Balfour, the first one-hitter against the Sox since Justin Duchscherer performed the feat last May 24. And, yes, Ellsbury's single was followed by a double play.
The attempt at the first perfect game since Randy Johnson's in 2004 was done, and the standing ovation - with cowbells - came long and loud, from the 20,341 at Tropicana Field.
For the Rays, though, it was more. Not only had Garza retired 18 consecutive Red Sox, he gave the Rays a jump on winning their first series since they took two of three from the Sox at Fenway Park to begin the season, this victory coming off purported Sox ace Josh Beckett.
When Garza left after 7 2/3 innings, he trudged slowly off the mound. This time it didn't matter what lines he stepped over. When he approached the dugout, he lifted his cap for barely a second. In 108 pitches, Garza allowed just one hit and one walk, and struck out 10 of the 24 batters he faced.
"Garza was about as good as you can get," said Sox manager Terry Francona. No one was arguing.
"We didn't have a whole lot going," Francona said. "Some nights you sit here and you go, 'Well, we needed to catch a break, a couple balls didn't fall.' He just, two-seam, four-seam fastball, two breaking balls, and just overpowered us."
Beckett, who is often laconic after a start, outdid himself this time. He said, without a change of expression, "He pitched good. He didn't have to pitch that good to win that game."
Beckett was right.
For the Sox, it was a game ugly enough that in the eighth inning it featured Jonathan Van Every - he of the game-winning homer the night before - on the mound, and reliever Javier Lopez in right field. That was not nearly as troubling as the fourth straight subpar start from Beckett.
