SOX LEAVE 14 RUNNERS ON, LOSE TO RAYS, 2-1

That pretty much says it all, folks. Haven't we seen this stinkfest of a game before? Of the fifteen runners the Sox got on base, fourteen failed to score. Thats horrific and thats why they lost.

Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched a good game, his only blemish being the two run homer he gave up to B.J. Upton in the sixth inning. Daisuke struck out eight and walked four, which helps account for his high pitch count of 111 through six innings. He was followed by Timlin and Gagne who both (somehow) held the Rays scoreless.

The chief culprit tonight was anyone with the name "Boston" on their chest who took up a bat. Jason Varitek personally stranded eight runners, including two in the ninth inning when he flied out to left field to end the game, but the final result was hardly his fault alone.

Even the manager got into the act, sort of. Terry Francona allowed Manny Ramirez a night off which is a reasonable and acceptable thing to do. However, with the game so close in the ninth I would have liked to see the Sox second best hitter pinch-hitting for Varitek, who finished 0-5 in the game. Still, I guess thats a small quibble.

This was a team loss. It was a game you'd like to have, but this can be a frustrating offense sometimes, and never was it more true than tonight.

A couple of notes...

*Dustin Pedroia's elbow appears to be OK according to the Globe. Pedroia was hit with a pitch in the third inning. He is day-to-day (aren't we all?).

*Eric Hinkse also left the game. He suffered a cramp and isn't likely to miss much time.

*The Texas Rangers scored 30 (Yes, thirty!) runs today in the first game of a double header as they beat the Orioles 30-3. The AP reports that as the most runs scored by any team in a single game in the last 110 years. The Chicago Cubs (then the Colts) scored the most ever when they dropped 36 on Louisville in 1897.

The Rangers were up 16-3 going into the eighth inning. They scored ten runs in the eighth and six in the ninth, the last three on a homer by Ramon Vazquez, which was his second homer of the game. Jarrod Saltalamacchia also had two homers. The winner of the game for the Rangers? Kason Gabbard.

Other oddities from the game:
- The Rangers actually trailed 3-0 at one point.
- The Rangers scored all their runs in only four innings. Imagine if they'd tried in the other five.
- This was the first game of a double header in Baltimore. You'd have to be quite an O's fan to sit through that to get to the next game.

AL East: The Yankees are finishing up a three game series in Anaheim, and they haven't finished their game yet. (As of this writing the Yankees lead, 1-0 in the 5th inning.) As of this moment, the Red Sox lead over New York is down to 5.5 games.

Tomorrow (Thursday): The Red Sox head to Chicago to begin a four game series with the White Sox. Josh Beckett goes against Jon Danks at 8:11pm EST.