By Jeff Horrigan,
BostonHerald.comA sizable Red Sox contingent is scheduled to hop aboard a train at South Station early tonight and zip down to New York for the start of All-Star Game festivities tomorrow at Yankee Stadium. Along the way, they should keep an eye out for a sputtering railroad push cart because it just might be the Tampa Bay Rays.
By demolishing the Baltimore Orioles, 12-1, last night at Fenway Park, the Sox positioned themselves to blow past the faltering Rays on the final day before the break, vaulting themselves back into first place in the American League East standings for the first time since June 29.
Tampa Bay, which was pounded in Cleveland again last night, lost its sixth consecutive game to allow the Sox to climb within a half-game of the top spot after slicing 4 games off the lead in six days.
“I think we view it more that we’re kind of in a battle with ourselves,” manager Terry Francona said. “I’m not putting down any team. We just need to play as well as we can. When we do that and do it well enough, those other things actually do take care of themselves.”
Last night, the Sox received seven marvelous innings from Tim Wakefield and belted three home runs, including back-to-back shots in the first inning that provided the ageless knuckleballer all the support he would need. Kevin Youkilis also whacked his first career grand slam in the seven-run third inning and established a new career high with six RBI. They were the most RBI by a Sox player since J.D. Drew collected seven at Arizona on June 8, 2007.
“It feels good,” Youkilis said. “I’m just trying to stay consistent as long as I can.”
Wakefield (6-6) allowed one run on two hits, while striking out six and walking one. He retired the final 13 batters he faced and permitted only two Baltimore runners to advance past first. The effort marked Wakefield’s ninth consecutive start of working at least six innings, while allowing three-or-fewer runs. It equaled the longest such stretch of his career, last accomplished from Aug. 11-Sept. 28, 2002.
“I think that’s actually the best I’ve ever seen Wake pitch,” Francona said. “The ball was almost attacking (catcher Kevin Cash).”
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