Garza beats Wakefield, Rays down Red Sox again

[July 02, 2008]  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- Matt Garza pitched seven strong innings in his first outing since throwing a one-hitter, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat Boston and nemesis Tim Wakefield 3-1 on Tuesday night.

The win extended their lead in the AL East to 2 1/2 games over the second-place Red Sox.

Garza (7-4) allowed an unearned run and five hits, and Dioner Navarro snapped a fourth-inning tie with an RBI single off Wakefield (5-6), whose 19 career victories against Tampa Bay -- nine at Tropicana Field -- are the most by an opposing pitcher.

The Rays have won seven of eight, improving the best record in the major leagues to 51-32. They are 5-0 at home against the Red Sox, who have won all six games the teams have played at Fenway Park this season.

Grant Balfour got the last four outs, working out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth and striking out three in the ninth, including Jason Varitek to end the game with the tying run on second base.

Garza was coming off the first complete game of his career, the one-hitter over the Florida Marlins in which he gave up a homer to Hanley Ramirez leading off the seventh inning.

Although the 24-year-old right-hander wasn't as sharp this time, he did retire the first nine batters before Jacoby Ellsbury beat out a dribbler and continued to third when Navarro, the Tampa Bay catcher, picked up the ball and threw wildly past first.

J.D. Drew drove in Ellsbury with a sacrifice fly, but he and Manny Ramirez could not deliver with a runner in scoring position when the Red Sox -- trailing 2-1 -- threatened again in the sixth.

Garza worked out of the jam by getting Drew to pop to first base and Ramirez, who's just 10-for-54 in his last 16 games, to foul out to first to end the inning.

The Red Sox squandered an opportunity in the eighth when they loaded the bases on an error and two walks.

Balfour replaced J.P. Howell with two outs and walked Ramirez to fill the bases, then escaped when Mike Lowell -- who had been 5-for-10 with two homers, two doubles and 18 RBIs with the bases loaded this season -- grounded to shortstop.

Blafour earned his second save in as many opportunities. After striking out Kevin Youkilis and Brandon Moss to begin the ninth, he gave up a double to Alex Cora and fanned Varitek to end the game.

The loss was the fourth in 23 decisions against Tampa Bay for Wakefield, who is 9-2 lifetime at Tropicana Field. While he only allowed two runs and five hits, he hurt himself with two costly wild pitches.

The Rays scored an unearned run in the first when Carl Crawford raced home on the knuckleballer's wild pitch after shortstop Cora's two-out fielding error kept the inning alive. Another wild pitch led to their second run, with Evan Longoria moving up to second before Navarro's RBI single snapped a 1-all tie in the fourth.

Navarro delivered another run-scoring single to make it 3-1 in the eighth.

Notes: The Rays were still evaluating RHP Troy Percival, who injured his left hamstring during the ninth inning of Monday night's victory over the Red Sox. Manager Joe Maddon said a decision on whether to put the 38-year-old closer on the 15-day DL will be made Wednesday. ... Ramirez, who has a sore hamstring, was Boston's DH for the second straight game. He'll likely remain there for the series finale. ... Red Sox RHP Bartolo Colon, who's on the DL with a lower back strain, began throwing from 60 feet.

[Associated Press; By FRED GOODALL]

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