Dan Delivers During Division Demands

The Rays edged the Red Sox 3-2 in St. Petersburg on Saturday, pushing Boston 5 ½ games behind the AL East leaders. Tampa is tied at the top of the division with the New York Yankees, who defeated the White Sox behind C.C. Sabathia’s 18th win of the season. Dan Johnson’s leadoff homerun in the 10th inning sealed the victory for the Rays in front of a sellout crowd at the Trop. It was the fifth walkoff win for the first place Rays this season.
Randy Choate recorded the final out of the 10th and was credited for the win after Johnson’s walkoff shot off losing pitcher, Scott Atchison. The Rays tied the game two times before taking the lead for good in the 10th. Boston went ahead 1-0 in the top of the fourth on Adrian Beltre’s sacrifice fly. The Red Sox pounded out ten total hits, including four from Victor Martinez, but were still parched for production. Martinez drove in both Boston runs and has a lifetime batting average of .425 at Tropicana Field. The Boston slugger has three of the five Red Sox RBIs this series and has scored four of the five runs. Martinez was the only run charged to Tampa hurler, Matt Garza. Garza scattered six hits through seven solid innings before Joaquin Benoit took over in the eighth.
Evan Longoria’s infield single in the fourth was the first hit for Tampa. Longoria also set the stage for the Rays’ first run with a seventh inning leadoff single of starter, Clay Buchholtz. The third baseman was tagged when Carlos Pena reached safely on a fielder’s choice. Pena advanced to third on Buchholtz’s errant pick-off move and scored on Matt Joyce’s sacrifice fly to right.
Martinez launched a solo shot off Benoit in the top of the eighth to give Boston a 2-1 advantage. It was the catcher’s 13th long ball of the year. B.J. Upton made it an even affair again with a homerun off Buchholtz. Upton drove a 1-0 offering into the left field stands for his 13th of the year. Bullet-proof Buchholtz allowed only four hits in just over seven frames. He struck out five batters but his consecutive 26-inning scoreless streak was snapped by Joyce. Both bullpens shut down the bats in the ninth inning, sending the game to extra frames. Choate relieved Chad Qualls with two outs in the tenth and Martinez on first base. Choate induced a fly out from David Ortiz to end the inning. Ortiz finished with three hits for Boston. In the tenth, Johnson ended the game on a 2-2 walkoff homer, the third of his career against the division rival Red Sox.

Parting Points: Disheartning news for the Nats—Stephen Strasburg needs surgery.

Good news for tennis fans—the U.S. Open starts tomorrow.