Red Sox Live Blog: Rays Win 1-0 Behind Strong Outing From Shields
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Red Sox' annual 11 a.m. game at Fenway Park on Marathon Monday is always a big event in Boston, but Bobby Valentine sure made this one a little more exciting.
The manager publicly questioned the effort and intensity of Kevin Youkilis on Sunday night, leading to a mini-firestorm at Fenway on Monday morning. Youkilis said he was surprised and confused by the comments. Dustin Pedroia was asked if such a tactic might help motivate a player, and his response was clear: "Maybe in Japan or something."
Drama aside, there is baseball to be played, and we'll provide live updates throughout the entire game against the Rays, as the Sox try to sweep the four-game series.
Final, 1-0 Rays: You can't make excuses, but it's hard to feel like the Red Sox weren't robbed of a chance to tie things up in the ninth.
After Pedroia's walk, Gonzalez grounded out to first. The Sox stayed out of the double play because Pedroia was stealing with the pitch. Ortiz was then intentionally walked.
In stepped Cody Ross, who saw six pitches. Despite the fact that none of them were in the strike zone, Ross was called out on strikes. Ross argued with home plate umpire Larry Vanover, but the game was already over at that point.
The positives from this game are the start from Bard and the strong performance out of the bullpen, particularly Justin Thomas. The bats just couldn't get going against Shields, who went 8 1/3 innings and allowed just four hits and two walks.
The Sox will host the defending AL-champion Rangers on Tuesday night.
Bottom 9th, 1-0 Rays, 1 out: Dustin Pedroia worked a work against Shields, forcing the starter from the game. Gonzalez and Ortiz are due up next, and they'll face Fernando Rodney.
Middle 9th, 1-0 Rays: Thanks to a strong outing by Albers, the Sox head to the bottom of the ninth trailing 1-0.
It's the top of the order for the Sox.
End 8th, 1-0 Rays: The Sox are down to their final three outs, after Punto, Saltalamacchia and McDonald go down 1-2-3.
Entrusted with keeping this a one-run game will be Matt Albers. It may have been the right move to insert Aceves over Albers, considering it would be impossible for the Sox to need a closer to make a save at this point.
Middle 8th, 1-0 Rays: The Red Sox are running out of time to get on the board, but they're still well within striking distance thanks to Justin Thomas and Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
Thomas allowed a leadoff single to Zobrist, but got a weak pop-up from Joyce on the following at-bat. Aviles tried to intentionally drop the ball to get a double play, but to no avail. It didn't matter though, as Zobrist was caught stealing second a few pitches later on a perfect throw from Saltalamacchia. Thomas then got Brignac to chase strike three in the dirt, with Saltalamacchia making the throw down to first to end the inning.
End 7th, 1-0 Rays: That was a deflating end to an inning that showed some promise for the Red Sox.
With one out, Cody Ross worked a 10-pitch at-bat that included five fouls, ending with a sharply hit single into left. Ryan Sweeney then followed up with an impressive at-bat himself, seeing eight pitches but eventually striking out looking. Ross was stealing on the pitch and was gunned down by Molina at second base to end the inning.
Middle 7th, 1-0 Rays: Daniel Bard owes Justin Thomas a burger and a milkshake.
The lefty reliever entered the game with two outs and the bases loaded in the seventh to face Luke Scott. After falling behind 1-2, Scott battled back to fill the count. With all three base runners off, Thomas induced a lazy fly ball to right to end the inning.
With the three stranded runners, Bard's final line looks like this: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 7 BB, 7 SO, 1 ER.
Top 7th, 1-0 Rays, 2 outs: A day that began as one all about Bobby Valentine could end that way too, this time for his decision to stick with a fatigued Daniel Bard in the seventh inning.
Bard got two quick outs to start the seventh before walking Rodriguez, giving up a single to Jennings, then walking Pena and Longoria to give the Rays a 1-0 lead.
Valentine finally left the dugout with the hook for Bard, giving way to Justin Thomas.
End 6th, 0-0: A Dustin Pedroia single through the left side of the infield was the only hiccup in Shields' sixth inning. He's at just 75 pitches through six.
Middle 6th, 0-0: Daniel Bard's got six strikeouts through six, which don't generally help the pitch count, but he was aided in the sixth by an inning-ending double play from Matt Joyce. Bard now sits at 87 pitches through six, and it's safe to expect him to be back out for the seventh. Will he have a lead? Well, that depends on what McDonald, Aviles and Pedroia can do in the bottom of the sixth.
End 5th, 0-0: A four-pitch walk to Nick Punto was Shields' only misstep in inning No. 5, a frame that started with a strikeout of Cody Ross
Middle 5th, 0-0: Daniel Bard said in the spring that pitching out of jams will be no different for him as a starter than it was for him as a reliever. The only difference, he said, was that they'll be his own jams, rather than someone else's. He's proven himself not to be a liar thus far today, as he allowed a two-out double to Jennings before walking Pena. Facing a big bat in Longoria, Bard battled for six pitches before getting Longoria to swing through strike three.
Bard's through five innings with 77 pitches, two hits, four walks and five strikeouts.
End 4th, 0-0: We got to see another hit that inning, which was exciting, but still, the bats remain sleepy over at Fenway for this one.
The hit came off the bat of Gonzalez, a missile off the Monster that was hit so hard that it was only good enough for a single. But Ortiz followed up with a double play ball, getting Shields out of the inning.
Through four full innings, Shields and Bard have combined to give up just three hits, three walks (all Bard's) and have struck out six.
Middle 4th, 0-0: Mike Aviles may not be as defensively skilled as Jose Iglesias, but he sure looked it on the 1-6-3 double play that ended the top of the fourth inning.
Keppinger grounded to the mound, where Bard fielded the ball and turned to throw to second. His throw was a good five feet short, but Aviles fielded the ball on the hop, avoided the sliding Matt Joyce and threw to first to retire Keppinger. You'll see that one on the top 10 highlights this week.
End 3rd, 0-0: We're close to being able to call this one a bona fide pitchers' duel, after Shields works a 1-2-3 third.
Of note in the inning was Aviles, who again forced Shields to work and throw seven pitches. The at-bat ended with a called strike three on the outside edge, a call that Aviles did not agree with.
Middle 3rd, 0-0: It's still very early in the season, but you have to like Daniel Bard's response to many fans' questioning of whether he can really be a starter. He just struck out the side in the third, getting Rodriguez, Pena and Longoria all swinging. With just a Jennings walk mixed in there, Bard is at 41 pitches through three. He's on pace to last a bit longer than his last outing, when he threw 94 pitches over five innings.
End 2nd, 0-0: James Shields has done the impossible. He has retired David Ortiz.
Ortiz's red hot bat was cooled with a grounder to short. Ross followed that up with a broken bat line drive that deflected off the glove of Shields for a hit, and he advanced to second on a wild pitch and to third on a Sweeney ground out to short. Nick Punto couldn't drive in the run though, hitting a slow tapper down the first base line, which Shields fielded and tossed to first for the out.
Middle 2nd, 0-0: The game remains scoreless after two thanks to a terrific diving catch from Ryan Sweeney in right field to end the inning.
Bard had gotten into a little trouble, hitting Zobrist with a pitch and then walking Keppinger. With two out, Jose Molina launched a shallow fly into left-center, but a charging Sweeney made the diving catch.
The right field position may be Sweeney's to lose, after Cody Ross misplayed two fly balls in right on Sunday. Right field at Fenway is definitely a unique place, and it's not for everyone, but fortunately for the Red Sox, Sweeney doesn't look too out of place out there.
End 1st, 0-0: It's always tough to hit at 11 in the morning, and both teams proved that to be the case in the first. Mike Aviles did his job as a leadoff man, forcing James Shields to empty his arsenal in throwing 10 pitches, but eventually popped out. Dustin Pedroia and Adrian Gonzalez went down in order to end the frame.
Middle 1st, 0-0: Well, it looks like Daniel Bard got plenty of sleep last night and is unaffected by the early start to this one.
Bard led off the game by striking out Jennings (looking), and he then got Carlos Pena to line out to first on two pitches and Evan Longoria to pop out to center on just three pitches. Bard threw a total of eight pitches in that inning.
Now we'll see if the Sox' bats are as awake as their starting pitcher.
10:51 a.m.: Here are the lineups for both teams today.
Red Sox
1. Mike Aviles, SS
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
4. David Ortiz, DH
5. Cody Ross, CF
6. Ryan Sweeney, RF
7. Nick Punto, 3B
8. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
9. Darnell McDonald, LF
SP: Daniel Bard
Rays
1. Desmond Jennings, CF
2. Carlos Pena, 1B
3. Evan Longoria, 3B
4. Luke Scott, DH
5. Ben Zobrist, RF
6. Matt Joyce, LF
7. Jeff Keppinger, 2B
8. Jose Molina, C
9. Sean Rodriguez, SS
SP: James Shields
