August 31st vs Tampa Bay

[yankeessuck013]

Game Info

Date: Wednesday, August 31st, 2005

First Pitch: 7:05pm ET

TV: NESN

Starting Pitchers:

 

http://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/baseball/mlb/players/6772.jpghttp://bellsouthpwp.net/c/h/chinigor/TALKSOX/VS.GIFhttp://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/baseball/mlb/players/4906.jpg

 

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/mlb/images/team_logos/50x50/tb.gif #15 Casey Fossum (8-10, 4.76)

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/mlb/images/team_logos/50x50/bos.gif #49 Tim Wakefield (13-10, 4.35)

 

Sox ready to knuckle down vs. Rays

 

Tampa Bay (55-78) at Boston (76-54), 7:05 p.m. ET

 

The Red Sox send their winningest pitcher to the mound Wednesday night, as veteran knuckleballer Tim Wakefield takes on former teammate Casey Fossum.

 

The Devil Rays, despite taking an early 5-0 lead, couldn't stave off Boston on Tuesday. Instead, the Sox rallied back and won it in the bottom of the ninth on a two-out, walk-off single by Trot Nixon.

 

Lately, the Red Sox have been unbeatable at home, taking 17 of their last 18 at Fenway Park.

 

Pitching matchup

TB: LHP Casey Fossum

• 8-10, 4.76 ERA in 2005

• 1-1, 1.69 ERA vs. BOS in 2005

 

BOS: RHP Tim Wakefield

• 13-10, 4.35 ERA in 2005

• 2-0, 1.40 ERA vs. TB in 2005

 

Player to watch

Bill Mueller rides a 13-game hitting streak into this one.

 

Quotable

"Well, confidence-wise, we're relying on our offense. We've got pretty good command of what's going on here and we feel comfortable here. We've got a great homestand to rattle off some wins." -- Mike Timlin

 

Quick hits

Johnny Damon scored his 100th run on Tuesday night, marking the eighth consecutive season he's reached triple digits. ... The Red Sox have at least 10 hits in each of their last five games. Over its last seven games, the Boston offense is hitting at a .313 clip with 22 doubles. ... David Ortiz leads the Red Sox in homers (35) and RBIs (117).

 

On deck

• Thursday: vs. Tampa Bay, 7:05 p.m. ET

• Friday: vs. Baltimore, 7:05 p.m. ET

• Saturday: vs. Baltimore, 7:05 p.m. ET

[yankeessuck013]

http://presspass.mlb.com/docs/77/107/1500_1242_1.gif

[riverside sluggers]

pitcher vs batter matchups

 

Casey Fossum vs: (career against Red Sox in 3 games a 1-1 record with a 1.69 ERA)

Johnny Damon, 1 for 7 (.143 avg) Walk, K

Edgar Renterria, 2 for 5 (.400 avg) RBI, 2 Walks, K, SB

David Ortiz, 2 for 9 (.222 avg) Double, 2 RBIs, K

Manny Ramirez, 2 for 4 (.500 avg) HR, RBI, K

Kevin Millar, 0 for 3, Walk

Bill Mueller, 0 for 4, K

Gabe Kapler, 0 for 1

Alex Cora, 2 for 7 (.286 avg) 2 RBIs, K

Trot Nixon, 0 for 2, Walk, K

John Olerud, 1 for 5 (.200 avg) Double, Walk, K

Jason Varitek, 1 for 3 (.333 avg) RBI

 

Tim Wakefield vs: (career against Devil Rays in 27 games a 12-1 record with a 2.68 ERA)

Jorge Cantu, 3 for 8 (.375 avg) 2 Walks

Carl Crawford, 16 for 43 (.372 avg) 4 Doubles, Triple, 4 RBIs, 3 Ks, 6 SBs

Joey Gathright, 0 for 4, K

Jonny Gomes, 1 for 4 (.250 avg) Walk, K

*Alex Gonzalez, 9 for 41 (.220 avg) HR, 4 RBIs, 3 Walks, 12 Ks, 3 SBs

Nick Green, 0 for 2, Walk

*Toby Hall, 6 for 30 (.200 avg) Double, 2 HRs, 4 RBIs, 2 Walks, 6 Ks

Damon Hollins, 0 for 3

*Aubrey Huff, 4 for 42 (.095 avg) 2 HRs, 3 RBIs, Walk, 7 Ks

Pete LaForest, 1 for 4 (.250 avg) Double, 2 Ks

Travis Lee, 8 for 21 (.381 avg) Double, 2 HRs, 4 RBIs, 2 Walks

*Julio Lugo, 5 for 23 (.217 avg) Double, 4 RBIs, 7 Walks, 6 Ks, 4 SBs

Eduardo Perez, 0 for 4, Walk

Josh Phelps, 8 for 25 (.320 avg) Double, 3 RBIs, 2 Walks, 7 Ks

[yankeessuck013]

lineups:

 

devil rays:

 

1. lugo, ss

2. crawford, lf

3. cantu, 2B

4. lee, 1B

5. gomes, dh

6. gonzalez, 3B

7. hollins, rf

8. laforest, c

9. gathright, cf

 

red sox:

 

1. damon, cf

2. renteria, SS

3. ortiz, dh

4. ramirez, lf

5. millar, 1B

6. mirabelli, C

7. mueller, 3B

8. kapler, rf

9. cora, 2B

[MANNYHOF24]

Hope Wake has a good Knuckler tonight

[ORS]

I would say Tito is platooning Millar against the lefty tonight but Cora is playing. That only leaves me one possible conclusion. Tito won't be making it into Mensa anytime soon.

[yankeessuck013]

early warning again

[ORS]

Manny's stuck in a power drought.

[yankeessuck013]

wake is scaring me so far

[yankeessuck013]

great play rent!!!!

[ORS]

Double your pleasure, double your fun.

[ORS]

HOLY s***!!!!!!! Millar HR.

[snb988]

early warning again

why what happened?

[yankeessuck013]

Millar!!!!

[yankeessuck013]

why what happened?

 

fossum hit renteria

[riverside sluggers]

and Millar said to mother nature "I f***ing love you!!!"

[ORS]

why what happened?

Fossum plunked Renteria in the knee in the first. Probably an overreaction by the home plate ump. Fossum leads the AL in hit batters.

[sarasoxfan]

something must be worng with gameday...it reads millar home run...they must have meant mueller...

[ORS]

The shame of it is that this will buy him another week's worth of starts.

[sarasoxfan]

i dont understand why he plays, even though he hit a home run..one could say about f***ing time, but when you look at the stats he is worse against lefties.

 

240+ and now 1 home run..it makes no sense, particularly becaus olerud can hit consistently, especially in the clutch.

 

oh well, the home run is a start...

[ORS]

Julio "I am the human Chihuahua" Lugo looks like an allstar against us every series against them.

[yankeessuck013]

f*** another HR...4-1 tb

[sarasoxfan]

wake aint making me feel too warm and fuzzy tonight..

[sarasoxfan]

f*** it, how many nights can we spot a team so many f***ing runs.

[sarasoxfan]

he aint fooling anyone tonight

[redsoxrules]

thats wakefield for you . one night hes good and one night he sucks

[ORS]

Looking like Manny will have a shot to make it a 1-run game with the wind blowing hard out to left.

[whereisnomar]

Ya, mayber another 5 run comeback is instore.

[whereisnomar]

Looking like Manny will have a shot to make it a 1-run game with the wind blowing hard out to left.

 

or not~

[sarasoxfan]

okay millar, lets see something with runners on base!