TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Rays Finally Figure Out Red Sox Ace Lester

Tribune photo by CHRIS URSO

B.J. Upton is congratulated by Akinori Iwamura, left, and Jason Bartlett after hitting a three-run home run in the third inning.

ADVERTISEMENT

By MARC LANCASTER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 14, 2008

BOSTON - If Jon Lester made any mistakes during his three starts against the Rays during the regular season, they weren't evident.

Having allowed two earned runs in 20 innings, he was about as steady as a pitcher can be. The Rays didn't expect any less Monday.

"You just hope to battle him to a point where you have a chance to win late in the game," said Rocco Baldelli.

What actually happened surprised everybody, as B.J. Upton and Evan Longoria blasted home runs over the Green Monster in the third inning to propel the Rays to a stunning 9-1 rout in a game most had chalked up as a pretty sure thing for Boston.

Though Matt Garza's efforts on the mound deserved plenty of kudos, he had demonstrated he was capable of such an outing before Monday. That couldn't be said about the hitters, who suddenly found the secret to beating Lester.

"I think guys just looked for the pitch they wanted," said Carl Crawford, "And when they got it, they made sure they didn't miss it."

That was certainly the case with Upton's three-run blast, a swing that put the Rays up 4-0. Few could believe what they had just seen.

"You're not even thinking three-run homer," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "I wasn't."

Once it happened, though, the Rays knew they were onto something - potentially the game that turned the series around.

"To beat him, and to beat him at Fenway," said Upton, "hopefully it'll just be a snowball effect from here."

Reporter Marc Lancaster can be reached at (813) 259-7227.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT