Garza shuts down Red Sox; Rays go for sweep Wednesday
ST. PETERSBURG – Rays starter Matt Garza threw seven strong innings, and Dioner Navarro had two RBI singles to lift Tampa Bay to a 3-1 win over the Red Sox Tuesday night. (see photo gallery)
With the victory, the best-in-the-majors Rays (51-32) moved to 2.5 games ahead of Boston (50-36) in the AL East, with the series finale tonight at the Trop.
Garza, coming off a complete-game one-hitter against the Marlins, was once again in complete control, with the only run he gave up in seven innings unearned. Navarro had RBI singles in the fourth and eighth, giving the Rays a much-needed insurance run.
With closer Troy Percival potentially going back to the disabled list, Grant Balfour entered in the eighth to get Tampa Bay out of a bases-loaded jam, before tossing a scoreless ninth for his second save.
-- JOE SMITH
Follow Tampa Bay Rays baseball from spring training to the World Series with Marc Topkin, Joe Smith and the St. Petersburg Times sports staff. From Evan Longoria to B.J. Upton and James Shields, we're your source for Tampa Bay Rays scores and schedules.
Rather than sweeping them out of town, let make them walk the plank then sweep them into the bay whee they can rot on the bottom & then the Manta-Rays & such such and feed off of them...
Live form SweepPete, aka Broomburg Fla, USA
Posted by: rayray | July 02, 2008 at 01:54 PM
ARE WE HAVING FUN YET?!?!? :D
Don't forget to bring your brooms tomorrow, folks!!!
Posted by: sevenyearhawk | July 01, 2008 at 11:58 PM
"his friend Andrew Silva, of Orlando, who was in first place. Replied Silva: "I'll just let my World Championship rings do the talking."
Oh how cute to be using a quip that's no more than four years old!
Use that on Yankees fans, Andrew. Yeah, thought so.
Chump.
Posted by: Todd | July 01, 2008 at 10:55 PM
I am so proud to be a Rays fan.
Posted by: Roman | July 01, 2008 at 10:54 PM
Where are the Sux trolls now? They are even bandwagon trolls!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Bill | July 01, 2008 at 10:49 PM
Sweet!
Posted by: Rick K | July 01, 2008 at 10:20 PM
this has gotta be frustrating for the sox, it's almost like we toy with the sox before putting them away everytime we play at the trop....i love it, but i could use an old-fashioned blowout to settle my nerves...let's see if we can chase dice-k by the 5th tomorrow night and start celebrating by the 7th....
Posted by: skp | July 01, 2008 at 10:13 PM