After 5 hours and 27 mins the Rays outlasted the Sox and won 9-8 to even the series at 1-1. This was a great game till it got to extra innings, there was everything, home runs, stolen bases, wild pitches. Beckett and Kazmir both got lit up, the difference between the two was that the Rays manager Maddon knew when to take out Kazmir. Francona really made a mistake leaving Beckett in when it was obvious he had nothing. Beckett ended up letting up 8 runs in just 4 1/3 innings, and Sox fans really have to be worried that their ace from last year, is now looking like a guy who can't even make it to the 5th inning. By the end of the 5th inning both pitcher were out of the game, and the Rays and Sox combined for 7 HRs, tying the playoff record.
Boston was down 8-6 at the end of the 5th inning, but then both bullpens came in and did a good job. Boston's bullpen did not let up a run till that 11th inning. That means they combined to go almost 7 innings with only 1 ER. Kind of amazing for a team that really had a lot of questions in their bullpen. The Sox were able to tie the game with a a Jason Bay RBI single (he was 3-5 with 4 RBIs) in the 6th, and Pedroia scored on a Miller wild pitch.
Both teams struggled to get anything going until the 11th inning. In the top of the 11th Boston was able to get two men on (both walks) with one out, but Kotsay and Crisp were not able to do anything with it. In the bottom of the inning, it really seemed like the umpires wanted to end the game, as they were squeezing the strike zone on Timlin. I know Timlin is terrible, but I really felt like he didn't pitch badly in this game. Even pitching coach John Farrell got so fired up over the calls that he was ejected from the game. Timlin walked the first two batter. Then the runners were moved over by a sacrifice. Upton ended the game on a weak sac fly to right field, where D.L. Drew couldn't get in home on time, and the Rays tied the series 1-1 as it heads to Fenway on Monday.
-BMack
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