The Red Sox and Rays are set to wrap up their four game series as Clay Buchholz takes on Price. We'll keep you up-to-date with live inning-by-inning updates on all the action in Tropicana Field.
Red Sox 3, Rays 1, End 8th -- Clay Buchholz gets the surprisingly early hook from Bobby V before the eighth starts, but that's not what causes the run to come in. Instead it's an awful bit of defense from Mike Aviles, who allows himself to get completely eaten up by a routine ground ball to third. For some reason, Jennings is credited with a double, causing the run when it eventually comes in on a sacrifice fly to count against Junichi Tazawa. Make that three free doubles offered up by the defense/official scorer to the Rays.
Red Sox 3, Rays 0, Mid 8th -- Some extra base power from the big guys in the lineup gets the Sox another run, as Ryan Lavarnway doubles and Mauro Gomez triples of all things to give the Sox some extra insurance.
Red Sox 2, Rays 0, End 7th -- A one-out double from Luke Scott proves that there's some level of mortality left in Clay Buchholz today, but he finishes off the inning without damage to prove that level is very low.
Red Sox 2, Rays 0, Mid 7th -- A leadoff single is all the Sox manage as Price returns for another inning of work. The good thing is that right now it doesn't look like they'll need to add on any more the way Buchholz is rolling.
Red Sox 2, Rays 0, End 6th -- Clay Buchholz responds to Price's difficult frame by shutting the best part of Tampa's lineup down on nine quick pitches, highlighting the 1-2-3 frame with a strikeout of Evan Longoria.
Red Sox 2, Rays 0, Mid 6th -- Jose Iglesias, miracle of miracles, has two hits in one game! This time it's a leadoff, first-pitch single through the left side of the infield. While Dustin Pedroia tests the outfield defense with a long drive to right, Matt Joyce is able to make the running grab for out number two. Cody Ross, however, is not to be denied. Finding the gap with a deep fly ball to left-center, Ross doubles Pedroia home, and then comes in to score on a hard shot off the glove of Ben Zobrist courtesy of Ryan Lavarnway, making it 2-0. The Sox manage to load the bases before the inning ends, but Daniel Nava grounds out to end the frame.
Red Sox 0, Rays 0, End 5th -- A weight comes off Pedro Ciriaco's shoulders, as a two-out Desmond Jennings single means Buchholz would not have had a no-hitter but for the infielder-turned-outfielder's mistakes. It does end up putting runners on first and third for the Rays, but Buchholz gets the fly ball from B.J. Upton to end things in the fifth.
Red Sox 0, Rays 0, Mid 5th -- Mike Aviles leads off the inning with a single into right field, but a strike-'em-out, throw-'em-out combo helps David Price get through the inning with the minimum number faced.
Red Sox 0, Rays 0, End 4th -- Clay Buchholz is pitching about as well as he ever has this year. Six pitches get him through another 1-2-3 frame, and but for two errors-called-hits in the outfield, this is a no-no through four. Jacoby Ellsbury is in the game now for Pedro Ciriaco, so that experiment is over early.
Red Sox 0, Rays 0, Mid 4th -- Ryan Lavarnway and Mauro Gomez put on some decent battles, but at the end of the inning that's all they have to show for their three outs.
Red Sox 0, Rays 0, End 3rd -- Pedro Ciriaco's debut in center is not going well at all. This time it's a relatively routine fly ball to center field that he either loses in the roof or simply freezes up on, letting it drop in front of him and giving B.J. Upton a two-out double. Clay Buchholz is able to overcome the mistake again, but the Sox can't keep giving away free doubles and expect to survive.
Red Sox 0, Rays 0, Mid 3rd -- Shockingly, it's Jose Iglesias who gets the first base hit of the night for the Red Sox, grounding a single up the middle and into center field with one out. The top of the lineup does nothing with the opportunity, however, producing two quick unproductive outs to end the top of the third with the Sox still searching for out number one.
Red Sox 0, Rays 0, End 2nd -- Trouble comes for Clay thanks to some outfield miscommunication by Daniel Nava and Pedro Ciriaco, inexperience at their current positions of right and center respectively showing through. An Evan Longoria fly ball is hit right between the two, and Pedro slows up as Nava makes an awkward attempt to pull in the out. Instead, it falls to the ground, and Longoria reaches second. Buchholz manages to retire the next two batters before giving up a two-out walk, but he gets Carlos Pena to swing through a 3-2 fastball to end the frame, no damage done.
Red Sox 0, Rays 0, Mid 2nd -- Price rolls right through the 5-6-7 spots in the Red Sox' lineup without breaking a sweat. Even at their best the Sox are hard pressed to score against Price. With this lineup...who can say?
Red Sox 0, Rays 0, End 1st -- Weak contact marks the inning for the Rays against Clay Buchholz. Three straight groundouts, with even the one back up the middle not nearly fast enough to even test Jose Iglesias. Mauro Gomez gloves the last one at first, taking it to the bag himself to end the frame.
Red Sox 0, Rays 0, Mid 1st -- David Price is the best the Rays have offered the Sox this series, and so far he looks it. While Price doesn't get a 1-2-3 first, it's only due to a two-out swinging bunt that David Price has bounce weakly off his glove, allowing Cody Ross to reach on an error. Ryan Lavarnway goes down on strikes, however, and the extra out needed only pushed his pitch count up to 16.