SB Nation Tampa Bay - Rays Vs. Red Sox Final: Fernando Rodney Finishes Boston Off, 1-0

Rays Vs. Red Sox Final: Fernando Rodney Finishes Boston Off, 1-0

2012-04-16T18:40:36Z

The Tampa Bay Rays scored only one run, off a bases-loaded walk. Great pitching by James Shields and Fernando Rodney, holding the Boston Red Sox 1-0 in an early Monday game at Fenway Park.

The lone run scored by the Rays in this game was a bases-loaded walk by Boston starting pitcher Daniel Bard to Evan Longoria. That walk scored Sean Rodriquez in the top of the seventh inning. Both Shields and Rodney combined to strike out six batters and only walked three the entire game. Rodney struck out Cody Ross in the top of the ninth to end the game.

Shields earned the win, pitching eight-and-a-third innings and allowed only four hits. Rodney earned his fourth save of the year by finishing off the last two batters in the ninth inning.

The Rays pushed their record to 5-5 on the season as they now travel north of the border for a three game series with the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre. Jeff Niemann will pitch the first game of the series for Tampa Bay.

For more news and updates from around the league, be sure to drop by Baseball Nation or the Rays blog DRaysBay. For more on the Red Sox visit SB Nation's Red Sox blog Over The Monster. And for a peak at the analysis behind the numbers, head over to Beyond the Box Score.

Rays Vs. Red Sox: Boston Will Be Without Kevin Youkilis On Monday

2012-04-16T14:16:56Z

The Tampa Bay Rays haven't enjoyed their trip up to Boston very much so far, losing the first three games of the series in pretty decisive fashion. Maybe a shake up in the starting time for this game, a very unusual 11 am, will be just the kick they need to avoid a sweep on Monday morning. here is the lineup the Rays will trot out on Monday morning.

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, RHP

And here is the lineup that the Red Sox will be working with on Monday. The interesting note is that Kevin Youkilis will not be on the field after the interesting comments from manager Bobby Valentine.

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, RHP

For more news and updates from around the league, be sure to drop by Baseball Nationor the Rays blog DRaysBay. For more on the Red Sox visit SB Nation's Red Sox blog Over The Monster. And for a peak at the analysis behind the numbers, head over to Beyond the Box Score.

Rays Vs. Red Sox Game Time, TV Schedule And More

2012-04-16T12:01:02Z

The Tampa Bay Rays will try to avoid the four-game sweep against the Boston Red Sox in an early morning start in Fenway Park on Monday morning. First pitch will be at 11:05 a.m. due to the Boston Marathon, but James Shields will try to quiet down the Red Sox bats that have pummeled the Rays through three games of the series so far.

The Rays on the other hand will be taking on Daniel Bard, who struggled in his first start of the season lasting only five innings. Tampa Bay has struggled to plate runs in the first two games against the Red Sox and have lost five of their last six games, all on the road.

Starting PItchers:

Tampa Bay: Shields (1-0, 5.54 ERA)
Boston: Bard (0-1, 9.00 ERA)

Game Time: 11:05 a.m. ET, April 16, 2012

Location: Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts

TV: NESN, FSNFL

Rays Vs. Red Sox Final Score: Tampa Bay Rallies But Comes Up Short In 6-4 Loss

2012-04-15T21:03:43Z

Although they were able to fight back from an early 4-0 deficit, but were not able to avoid a third straight defeat at the hands of the Boston Red Sox, losing 6-4.

After cutting the deficit to 4-3 with clutch hitting in the fifth, the Rays tied the game at four when Luke Scott hit a home run off of Felix Doubront.

The deadlock wouldn't last long as in the bottom half of the sixth, David Ortiz put the Sox up 5-4 with an RBI double. The Red Sox added an insurance run when Mike Aviles hit his first home run of the season.

Matt Moore had a rough start on the mound for the Rays, allowing all six runs in 6.1 innings on eight hits and four walks.

The Rays return to action tomorrow morning in Boston for the annual Patriot Day game. First pitch is scheduled for 11:05 a.m.

For more news and updates from around the league, be sure to drop by Baseball Nationor the Rays blog DRaysBay. For more on the Red Sox visit SB Nation's Red Sox blog Over The Monster. And for a peak at the analysis behind the numbers, head over to Beyond the Box Score.

Rays Vs. Red Sox Score Update: Tampa Bay Rallying, Trail 4-3 In Fifth Inning

2012-04-15T19:17:24Z

The Tampa Bay Rays are coming close to putting their struggles at Fenway Park behind them, but they still trail the Red Sox 4-3 in the fifth inning.

Boston got to Tampa Bay starter Matt Moore early when Cody Ross hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the second that scored Kevin Youkilis and David Ortiz. Boston added one more run in the bottom of the fourth when a Kelly Shoppach double made the score 4-0.

Carlos Pena nearly hit his fourth home run of the season in the top of the fifth with two men on, but the ball hooked foul and was upheld by a review. Pena would hit a double in that at bat to make it 4-1. The next batter, Evan Longoria then hit a two-run double to cut the deficit to 4-3.

Moore has allowed four runs on five hits while walking one batter and striking out four. His mound opponent, Felix Doubront has been shaky, allowing eighth hits in five innings but has been able to get seven strikeouts.

Rays Vs. Red Sox: Tampa Bay's Matt Moore Looks To Silence The Boston Bats

2012-04-15T12:46:18Z

Sunday at Fenway Park the Tampa Bay Rays (4-4) send youngster Matt Moore to the hill, hoping to stop the red-hot bats of the Boston Red Sox (3-5). Boston has outscored Tampa Bay 25-7 in the first two games of the series, including Saturday's 13-5 bludgeoning that saw the Rays surrender 15 hits, including five home runs.

The 22-year-old Moore pitched 6 2/3 innings in his season debut against the Detroit Tigers, allowing four hits and two runs. The bullpen did him no favors though, as the Rays lost 5-2. Called up in September of last year, Moore was stellar down the stretch for Tampa Bay, striking out 15 in 9 1/3 September innings.

He will be opposed on the mound by a fellow young lefthander, Felix Doubront of the Red Sox. On Monday, Dubront held the Toronto Blue Jays to two runs in five innings, striking out six, as Boston earned their first win of the season.

The Rays are attempting to avoid their first four-game losing streak since starting the 2011 campaign 0-6.

Rays Vs. Red Sox Final Score: Tampa Bay Pounded By Boston Again, 13-5

2012-04-14T23:26:15Z

The Tampa Bay Rays were pounded by the Boston Red Sox on Friday to the tune of 12-2 and were looking to rebound from the loss on Saturday, as well as pick up manager Joe Maddon's 500th victory as the Rays manager. That milestone will have to wait another day, as the Red Sox once again pounded the rays on Saturday afternoon to the tune of 13-5.

In his return from getting hit in the head with a home run ball during batting practice, Rays starting pitcher Jeremy Hellickson gave up three home runs through just five innings pitched.

The Red Sox bats were on fire, hitting a total of five homeruns in the game. The Rays jumped out to an early lead and looked as if they were going to pounce Boston, playing four runs in the first inning, but that was essentially the extent of the Rays offense for the game.

Tampa Bay has now lost four of their last five games, all of which have been on the road.

GIF: Clay Buchholz And The Balk Off

2012-04-14T21:05:47Z

In the second inning of the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox game, SP Clay Buchholz tried to pick off SS Sean Rodriguez at first base. Maybe he was trying to one-up Rays pitcher Jeremy Hellickson who had just picked off SS Mike Aviles in the previous half inning, but for whatever reason, Buchholz lost the grip on the ball, and then rest has become GIF history:

(via gif.mocksession.com).

It looks almost like a magic trick, doesn't it? He juggles the ball around in his glove for a moment and then the balls rolls over a ridge of fingers while the arm swings around in a feverish throwing motion. For just the faintest of moments, the ball suspends there in the air. Waiting. Waiting for a moment of glory.

Well, the Rays may not have managed to score the runner, but we all scored some giggles today. And that ball found its moment of glory.