Two Princes

Game 105 - Red Sox

Rays 4, Red Sox 2 (13)

Record: 62-43

So it appears that the coronation of Daniel Bard may have been a tad premature. Just like Terry Francona's hook.

Tito yanked Jon Lester after a leadoff HBP to Carlos Pena in the bottom of the 7th. To be fair, Lester had thrown 110 pitches to that point, but he was also dealing, having only allowed 3 hits and no runs. Hideki Okajima relieved Lester and gave up a single before inducing a double play and walking a batter, leaving runners on first and third with 2 outs. Enter Bard, who gave up a run-scoring infield single to Jason Bartlett and then retired the side with the Sox leading 2-1. Fine. It's baseball. Stuff happens.

Bard saved his best work for the 8th, unfortunately, allowing a leadoff longball to Evan Longoria before loading the bases on a pair of walks and his own throwing error. Amazingly, Manny Delcarmen cleaned up Bard's mess to preserve the tie, but in the recent tradition of Sox/Rays action, irreversible damage was done.

Just took a little longer this time, with the Sox wriggling out of another bases-loaded, no out situation to prolong the agony until Longoria (who batted with a base empty and 2 out in the 13th) smashed another homer to win the game.

In one fell swoop, the Sox lost a game they led in the 7th inning, burned their bullpen in the first game of a brutal week, dropped a game to the Yankees, and continued their ineptitude against Tampa. Probably could've scripted this one a little more brutally, but it would've required some effort. And Luis Castillo.