Postgame, Rays 4-0: The conversation in the clubhouse focused on a few issues.
One was how this quirky schedule is having an effect on the Red Sox, who are collectively in their first real slump in some time. They've lost four of five and are 10-10 in their last 20.
The other topic surrounded the absence of David Ortiz, and how much of a factor that was in the three straight three-hitters.
It's the first time that has happened to the Red Sox since Sept. 2-4, 1974.
"It's not a good feeling when you see your teammates struggling and you're not in the lineup," Ortiz said.
There isn't much time to dwell on the issues. The Royals, a losing team but one that always gives Boston fits, is waiting for a four-game series that begins tomorrow night at 8:10 p.m. Look for the live blog well in advance of that. Thanks for following along today.
Final, Rays 4-0: The Red Sox are now two games behind the Yankees in the loss column and eight up on the Rays as they head out for eight games in the heat.
It'll be a zoo in the clubhouse as the team prepares for its flight, but we will attempt to get you some reaction to a difficult couple of days for Boston (that Jon Lester win sure seems like a long time ago, doesn't it?).
Back up in a little bit.
Mid 9th, Rays 4-0: Here comes Kyle Farnsworth.
The Red Sox have not scored a run without the use of a home run in 30 innings. However, they have not faced many relievers in that time. So they're totally gonna, you know, break out right here.
Farnsworth faces Kevin Youkilis, Jed Lowrie and likely Josh Reddick.
End 8th, Rays 4-0: With the Tampa Bay bullpen getting busy, David Price works around a two-out walk to Dustin Pedroia by blowing away Adrian Gonzalez.
It is Price's sixth strikeout. If he is done (he is), the Rays' pitchers combined to allow just five runs on nine hits in 25 innings this series. They struck out 22 and walked five. That be good.
Meanwhile, Gonzalez is 0-for-9 in this series.
Kyle Farnsworth is warming. He will take over after Price, who threw 116 pitches.
Mid 8th, Rays 4-0: Alfredo Aceves has a reputation for hitting batters. First base was open. Two outs in the inning. Kelly Shoppach up.
The word "brawl" was thrown around the press box as the situation unfolded. Thankfully, Aceves just went after the light-hitting backstop and struck him out.
It was the third straight K for Aceves after a leadoff double by B.J. Upton.
David Price takes the hill looking to keep that Rays bullpen as rested as humanly possible.
End 7th, Rays 4-0: There's probably just two innings left in this series, but seven more meetings between these rivals. They could be chippy if anything carries over from this one.
After the Red Sox hit four batters in two days (Sean Rodriguez twice, Kelly Shoppach twice), David Price plunks Darnell McDonald with one out in the seventh.
McDonald and Shoppach exchanged some words as Darnell walked to first. Hard to tell the exact nature, but they weren't exchanging phone numbers.
One out later, Jarrod Saltalamacchia grounded one to third and McDonald went into second extremely high and late. It wasn't a situation where anything needed to be broken up with an aggressive slide. You can be sure that the Rays took note. Price seemed to as he looked out toward the bag long after the play was over.
McDonald also had a talk with first base umpire Brian Knight after the inning was over. We'll see if any of this lingers.
Meanwhile, Price is at 98 pitches. He may get a chance to hit a few more guys, if that's his desire.
Mid 7th, Rays 4-0: Alfredo Aceves shatters Casey Kotchman's bat in inducing a soft grounder to first to end it.
John Lackey does end up with a quality start. His line: 6.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 7 K, 2 HR, 1 WP, 2 HB.
Despite the recent 6-0 run for Lackey, that's only his fourth quality start in his last eight outings.
3:40 p.m.: John Lackey's run of six straight winning decisions is in serious jeopardy after he leaves two outs in the seventh, trailing 4-0. It would take a big rally for him to pick up a no-decision.
A hit batter, the second of the game with Kelly Shoppach at the plate, preceded a sacrifice bunt, a walk and a double. The two-bagger was struck by Ben Zobrist on Lackey's 125th pitch, the most he has thrown in a Red Sox uniform.
It also scored Shoppach and prompted Terry Francona to finally emerge with the hook. Not exactly sure why he waited that extra batter, but here is Alfredo Aceves with two runners in scoring position.
End 6th, Rays 3-0: This offensive juggernaut just reached a new low in the sixth, and this team-wide slump is beginning to take hold.
One of the few guys immune to it all has been Jacoby Ellsbury, who tripled to lead things off. Another bounce or two in the triangle in center and Ellsbury goes all 360.
But he is held up, Dustin Pedroia strikes out looking and Adrian Gonzalez hits a soft comebacker that David Price snags and turns to get Ellsbury caught in a rundown.
The putout goes 1-5-2-6, erasing the leadoff triple. Gonzalez managed to get to second during the rundown, but Kevin Youkilis hit the first pitch softly to first. That does it for the Sox' only significant threat.
The rundown was executed to perfection by Tampa Bay. I know I've said it about three times already this series, but they just make every play they should make, the best indication of a solid defensive team. You don't have to make the highlight reels every night. Just make every play you should make and you'll be fine.
Mid 6th, Rays 3-0: John Lackey's ERA is below 6.00 (5.98) for the first time since the end of April. It's been a slow, steady march, but he gets there with a 1-2-3 sixth.
Lackey's pitch count is up to 105 and there is a lot of meandering going on in the bullpen. He'll get a chance to go seven, for sure, but the leash won't be a long one.
End 5th, Rays 3-0: Just two Red Sox players have reached second base in this one.
The first came in the first when Dustin Pedroia singled and moved to second on a walk to Adrian Gonzalez. That was nullified by a double play.
Jacoby Ellsbury had a walk and a steal with two outs in the third. Didn't amount to much.
In the fifth inning, Boston didn't even flirt with getting anyone on. Carl Crawford continued his slide with another weak at-bat which resulted in a pop to short. A strikeout and pop to second got David Price through the inning at a tidy 74 pitches.
Mid 5th, Rays 3-0: Love the symmetry from Evan Longoria right there. Facing a 3-0 pitch, he hacks away, hammering his 19th home run of the season to make it…yep, 3-0.
The pitch was a 91 mph cutter that got way too much of the plate. With David Price dealing the way he is, that run looms extremely large right now.
The Sox are not in the best of shape. Ortiz and Scutaro are hurt. Youkilis is limping. The offense has come completely back to Earth after July's torrid pace. If they lose this they are 10-10 in their last 20 games and play their next eight on the road. It becomes a mammoth road trip for them.
End 4th, Rays 2-0: The Red Sox have now played 22 innings in this series and have yet to score on anything other than a home run.
Kevin Youkilis singled with one out in the fourth. Nothin' doin' after that. David Price has thrown 67 pitches.
Mid 4th, Rays 2-0: The official scorer took away an earned run from John Lackey an inning ago. B.J. Upton added it right back on, and in a big way.
Upton unloaded on an 0-1 offering from Lackey for a solo shot to start the fourth. It was a liner that smacked the AAA signed above the Monster seats right down the line.
Upton was one of the few guys Lackey had done well against in his career. He entered that at-bat just 5-for-25 (.200) against Lackey.
The inning ended on another sparkling play by Dustin Pedroia at second. If you handed him the Gold Glove right now, you'd find no objections in this press box.
End 3rd, Rays 1-0: The best job in baseball right now is bullpen catcher for the Tampa Bay Rays. He's enjoying a nice visit to Boston, seeing the sites, maybe eating in the North End, taking a paddle boat out on the Chaz.
Other than that, not a lot of action out there for such figures. You simply cannot say enough about the Rays' starting pitching in this series. That, plus an outstanding defense, is why I think they could still be a factor in September due to so many games against the teams they need to catch.
David Price did issue a two-out walk to Jacoby Ellsbury in the fourth, normally a death wish for pitchers not named David Price. After Ellsbury steals second, Price gets Dustin Pedroia to pop to shallow center.
Ellsbury's steal is the 168th of his career. That ties him with Carl Yastrzemski for third on the team's all-time list.
Mid 3rd, Rays 1-0: Casey Kotchman has been rung up on a few outside pitches the past two days. He is getting a bit more peeved each time it happens.
Kotchman Ks to end the third, stranding a runner at third.
That runner was Johnny Damon, who doubled down the left-field line to lead things off. Damon is now 21-for-56 (.375) against John Lackey.
The official scorer has actually changed Damon's first double to a single and an error on Darnell McDonald. That makes the run in the inning an unearned one. Upon learning of the error, Lackey threw up his arms in disgust inside the dugout.
End 2nd, Rays 1-0: When Carl Crawford had that little hot stretch when the Yankees were in town, he was taking stuff the other way, especially against lefties.
Since then, it seems as if Crawford is having all kinds of issues with pitches on the outer half. He is lunging in an almost protective manner, and getting very little solid contact, if any at all.
Crawford is now 0-for-10 in his last four games after tapping one weakly to short to end the second. His average against lefties is down to .174 (20-for-115).
Mid 2nd, Rays 1-0: At this rate, John Lackey will be the runaway winner in the hit batter category.
His major league-leading 15th comes with two outs in the second and allows Kelly Shoppach to reach.
Lackey escapes by getting Desmond Jennings on a check-swing tapper to Jed Lowrie. Nice running play by Lowrie, who had an interesting night at third base on Tuesday.
End 1st, Rays 1-0: Dustin Pedroia was honored before the game for winning the American League Player of the Month for July. As he held his trophy aloft, Terry Francona stood beside him, holding Pedroia's son Dylan. A great way to start a 28th birthday.
Pedroia kept the good vibes going with a one-out single in the first. Adrian Gonzalez followed by drawing a walk to give the Red Sox a serious threat. That threat was nullified when Kevin Youkilis grounded into a double play.
The Rays play some really solid defense. It's what keeps them in games with a so-so offensive attack.
Mid 1st, Rays 1-0: The first inning has been an issue at times for John Lackey, and such is the case on this sunny Wednesday at the park.
After a strikeout of Desmond Jennings, Johnny Damon blooped one into right that took a funny hop past Darnell McDonald. It goes as a double, but a rather fortunate one for Damon.
Still, Lackey didn't help himself out much after that. He walked Evan Longoria, uncorking a wild pitch on ball four that allowed Damon to get to third. That set up Ben Zobrist's RBI groundout.
A walk and a strikeout finished the 31-pitch frame. Lackey's first-inning ERA is now 6.86
In case you missed it, here is the admission by Terry Francona that Adrian Gonzalez's neck may be sapping his power.
1:36 p.m.: John Lackey delivers a strike to Desmond Jennings. Keep it here for all the updates going forward.
12:27 p.m.: A couple of smaller notes to pass on, none of which involve David Ortiz. Still expected to be out a few days, but no specific timetable yet.
Bobby Jenks threw a side session yesterday in Florida and will throw another tomorrow. The plan, which has changed many times already with Jenks, is for him to throw a third session at some point and then move on to live batting practice.
If that goes well, then we have rehab.
J.D. Drew will continue hitting with the team on the field when it gets to Kansas City. The club will re-evaluate him at some point during that series and decide when to send him back out to play some rehab games.
"At some point, he needs to go out and play," Terry Francona said. "When will kind of be determined by him and the medical staff."
Finally, there's Marco Scutaro, who is out again today. Francona said that Scutaro has been medically cleared and there is nothing wrong with his sore back. It's simply up to Scutaro to tell the staff when he's ready to go.
Andrew Miller has not been hurt, but he has been used sparingly. Because of that, the staff will "keep an eye on him" when Miller makes his next start Friday in Kansas City.
Miller hasn't started since July 31, throwing just three innings of relief since then. The lefty is throwing an extended side session today. Francona does not think the layoff will have much of an impact, but will probably limit Miller to 85-90 pitches.
Back in a bit with more.
11:40 a.m.: Just saw John Lackey finish up his pre-start workout with a big smile on his face. He seems to be pumped for his next outing.
Here is the lineup that will try to break Lackey's streak of six straight wins:
Desmond Jennings, LF
Johnny Damon, DH
Evan Longoria, 3B
Ben Zobrist, 2B
Casey Kotchman, 1B
B.J. Upton, CF
Matt Joyce, RF
Reid Brignac, SS
Kelly Shoppach, C
Look out for Damon, who is a .352 (19-for-54) hitter against Lackey, as well as Kotchman (4-for-13), Joyce (3-for-8, HR) and Brignac (6-for-14).
More pregame updates in a bit.
10:34 a.m.: The big question coming into the park was how Terry Francona was going to handle the absence of David Ortiz.
Well, Adrian Gonzalez will get the first chance to DH, which could do him some good.
Here is the lineup for Wednesday's matinee:
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Adrian Gonzalez, DH
Kevin Youkilis, 1B
Jed Lowrie, 3B
Darnell McDonald, RF
Carl Crawford, LF
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
Mike Aviles, SS
6 a.m. ET: Roughly 15 hours after the completion of a day-night doubleheader, the Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays will complete a lightning-quick three-game set Wednesday afternoon at Fenway Park.
The teams split the twinbill Tuesday, with Boston taking the opener. The Rays got complete games from both James Shields and Jeff Niemann in the split, so their bullpen will be rested.
John Lackey takes the ball in the finale for the Red Sox. Lackey has won six straight decisions, the longest such streak of his career. He is 12-4 with a 3.80 ERA in his career against Tampa Bay. David Price will be on the mound for the Rays. He picked up a win against the Sox a month ago and is 5-3 lifetime versus Boston.
The Red Sox ended the doubleheader with a thin bench. David Ortiz left the park with right heel bursitis, which caused him to be placed in a walking boot. Marco Scutaro missed all the action Tuesday with a sore back. We will get you updates on those two, and any others that might be ailing, once we get to the park in the morning.
First pitch is scheduled for 1:35 p.m.
