DATE OPP. BOS TIME RED SOX STARTER OPPOSING STARTER TELEVISION
Thurs., July 6 at TB 7:15 p.m. RHP Tim Wakefield (6-8, 3.90) RHP James Shields (4-1, 4.39) NESN
Fri., July 7 at CWS 8:35 p.m. LHP Jon Lester (3-0, 3.08) LHP Mark Buehrle (9-5, 3.86) NESN
Sat., July 8 at CWS 1:25 p.m. RHP Josh Beckett (10-4, 4.59) RHP Freddy Garcia (10-5, 4.72) FOX
Sun., July 9 at CWS 2:05 p.m. RHP Curt Schilling (10-3, 3.63) RHP Jose Contreras (9-0, 3.31) NESN
*** ALL-STAR BREAK ***
---All games broadcast on 103.7 WEEI-FM and the Red Sox radio network and the Red Sox Spanish-language radio network---
A DEVIL OF A TIME
Manny Ramirez is the all-time home run and RBI leader vs. the Devil Rays.
ALL-TIME HR LEADERS VS. TAMPA BAY
1. Manny Ramirez 37
2. Carlos Delgado 32
3. Jason Giambi 27
4. Alex Rodriguez 24
ALL-TIME RBI LEADERS VS. TAMPA BAY
1. Manny Ramirez 119
2. Jason Giambi 93
3. Carlos Delgado 86
4. Jorge Posada 74
WAKE ME, SHAKE ME
Tim Wakefield last Saturday became the 13th active pitcher to reach 150 career wins, accomplishing the feat in his 300th start as a Red Sox.
Active Win Leaders
1. Roger Clemens, HOU 342
2. Greg Maddux, CHC 325
3. Tom Glavine, NYM 286
4. Randy Johnson, NYY 272
5. Mike Mussina, NYY 234
6. David Wells, BOS 227
7. Jamie Moyer, SEA 210
8. Pedro Martinez, NYM 204
9. Curt Schilling, BOS 202
10. Kenny Rogers, DET 201
11. John Smoltz, ATL 182
12. Andy Pettitte, HOU 179
13. Tim Wakefield, BOS 150
Additionally, Wakefield tonight can become the first pitcher ever to win 15 games against the Devil Rays.
All-Time Win Leaders vs. Tampa Bay
Tim Wakefield, BOS 14
Mike Mussina, NYY 14
O. Hernandez, NYM 11
Pedro Martinez, NYM 11
Andy Pettitte, HOU 11
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY?: Boston’s 7-day stay in Florida comes to an end tonight as the Red Sox and Devil Rays wrap up their 4-game set at Tropicana Field…the Red Sox took 2 of 3 games from the Marlins in Miami last weekend and have dropped the first 3 games to the Devil Rays this week…tomorrow, the Red Sox begin a 3-game set with the World Champion White Sox that caps their 10-game trip and leads to the All-Star Break . . . The Red Sox have lost 3 games in a row for just the 3rd time this season and tonight aim to avoid equaling their longest losing streak of the season, a 4-game skid June 11-15…when the Red Sox ended that streak, they immediately followed with a season-best 12-game winning streak . . . Despite losses in their last 3 games, the Red Sox are 14-4 in their last 18 contests beginning June 16…the Sox began this stretch 1.0-game out in the A.L. East and are now 3.0-games up on the Yankees in the division.
TOUGH TIMES AT THE TROP: Boston had won its last 5 overall series starting June 16 before this 4-game set at Tampa Bay…the Sox have lost 4-straight games at Tropicana Field for the first time since a 4-game skid July 6, 1999-August 28, 2000…the Sox have never dropped 5 games in a row at the Trop . . . Including this week, the Red Sox have lost 4 of their last 5 series at Tropicana Field since the start of the 2005 season, going 5-10 (.333) here in that span…the Red Sox have never been swept in a series at Tropicana Field (22 series here into this week)…the Red Sox have not been swept in any 4-game series since September 3-6, 1998 at Toronto.
FIRST THINGS FIRST: The Red Sox have held sole possession of first place in the A.L. East for the last 18 days…the Sox have been in sole possession of or in a statistical tie for first place in the division for 82 of 93 days in 2006.
300 WITH THE SOX: Tim Wakefield, who made his 300th start with the Red Sox last Saturday in Miami, has 333 starts in his career, 17th-most among active pitchers…however, Wakefield is one of only 4 active pitchers to boast at least 300 starts with his current club…the other 3: John Smoltz, who has made 412 starts with Atlanta, Brad Radke, who has made 367 starts with Minnesota, and Jamie Moyer, who has made 316 starts with Seattle . . . Tonight marks the 121st start for the battery of Tim Wakefield and Doug Mirabelli…the pair recently celebrated the 5-year anniversary of their first start together, a no-decision June 29, 2001 at Toronto…Wakefield and Mirabelli have combined for 55 victories: 52 in Wakefield starts and 3 in relief appearances.
ON THE DOUBLE: Mike Lowell last night recorded his 30th double of the season to become just the 4th Red Sox in the last 47 seasons beginning in 1960 to reach 30 doubles by the All-Star Break…he joins David Ortiz (33 in 2004), Bill Mueller (30 in 2003) and Nomar Garciaparra (30 in 2002) in this exclusive company.
HOME, STEAL HOME: Carl Crawford last night became the first Red Sox opponent to record a straight steal of home (not as the back end of a double steal) since Cleveland’s Omar Vizquel turned the trick September 20, 2000 off Rheal Cormier in the 5th inning of the 2nd game of a day-night doubleheader at Fenway Park . . . Thanks to 3 steals last night, Crawford now has 201 steals in his big league career that began July 20, 2002…in that same span, the Red Sox have 240 stolen bases as a team beginning July 20, 2002 . . . This season, Crawford leads the A.L. with 32 steals, more than the totals of 7 teams in the majors, including the Red Sox and their 23 steals in 2006.
THE RED SOX AND DEVIL RAYS
2006 SEASON: The Red Sox and Devil Rays meet 19 times in 2006, 9 times at Fenway Park and 10 times at Tropicana Field…the clubs have played 13 times thus far, with the Sox holding a 7-6 edge (6-1 at Fenway and 1-5 at the Trop).
ALL-TIME: Boston leads the all-time series 95-50…the Red Sox are 53-20 at Fenway and 42-30 at Tropicana Field . . . The Sox are 6-1-1 in 8 season series since the Rays joined the American League in 1998, losing only in 1999…the clubs split 12 in 2000 . . . Boston has won the last 5 season series (2001-2005), winning at least 12 games vs. Tampa Bay each year from 2001-2005…the Rays are the only team against whom the Sox have won each of the last 5 season series (2001-2005)…since 2001, the Sox are 76-32 against the Rays.
RECORDS AND MILESTONES
DEFENSE RECORD: The Red Sox recently set a new major league record by playing 17 games in a row without an error from June 11-30 . . . Boston surpassed the previous major league record set by the St. Louis Cardinals July 30-August 16, 1992…on Thursday, the Red Sox broke the American League mark of 15 previously held by the Rangers from August 4-19, 1996…Boston’s last error had occurred June 11 vs. Texas (Kevin Youkilis in the first game of a doubleheader)…the Red Sox cleanly handled 668 chances between errors.
PREVIOUSLY ON 24: Jonathan Papelbon Sunday set the Red Sox single-season rookie saves record with his 25th save, breaking Dick Radatz’ mark of 24 saves as a rookie in 1962 . . . Not yet the All-Star Break, Papelbon’s 25 saves already tie for the 10th most by a rookie in major league history, only 12 shy of the record set by Seattle’s Kaz Sasaki in 2000.
