Payton is just grand as fill-in
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Terry Francona and Jay Payton had the same message for Trot Nixon: Thanks for being ejected. They were just kidding, of course.
But when Nixon was ejected for scuffling with Tampa Bay pitcher Dewon Brazelton (who also was thrown out) during a seventh-inning, bench-clearing incident, Payton replaced Nixon in right. He came up with the bases loaded in the eighth and launched a grand slam that broke open Boston's 11-3 win.
The Red Sox are 11 for 23 (.478) with three grand slams and 34 RBIs this season with the bases loaded. It was Payton's first hit in three at-bats with the bases full. Johnny Damon, with a bases-loaded RBI single just before Payton's shot in the eighth, improved to .418 lifetime with the bags full, the best among active players.
"I'll take that," Payton said. "Thank Trot for getting tossed. It's always exciting to hit a grand slam, but in that situation it felt good. We had a few guys [get] hit in this series. One of their guys gets hit [Aubrey Huff in the sixth] and they want to retaliate."
Francona quipped, "I thought Trot was the MVP. I thanked him for saying something to get thrown out."
The Red Sox hit three home runs. One was the ultimate retaliation -- Manny Ramirez's solo shot after Lance Carter had thrown high and behind him in the seventh. In the eighth, David Ortiz hit the "C" ring catwalk with another massive homer, his seventh, and third of the series.
The Devil Rays also walked nine, which helped the Sox build their lead before Payton put the game away.
"You can't walk as many as we walked against a good team and win," said Tampa Bay manager Lou Piniella. "That's when the score will get lopsided. It was a good ballgame up until that point."
Piniella was miffed that Ortiz was not ejected for making a move toward the mound before he was restrained.
Crew chief Rick Reed said, "Ortiz was held and did not make it out, fortunately for him, and therefore wasn't involved in the discussions that were going on in the middle of the field."
Then came Bronson
Bronson Arroyo, 2-0 with a 4.01 ERA, has been smack-dab in the middle of several of the most recent Red Sox brawls. He's the one who hit Alex Rodriguez in the legendary Yankees-Sox brawl last July, which many believe propelled the Sox to their strong second half.
"It's a big chess match. Things happen," Arroyo said. "It got a little bit out of hand. I know Chris Singleton [whom Arroyo hit in the seventh] was a little [ticked] off. It's part of the game."
Better, thanks
Bill Mueller took batting and infield practice, but missed another game with the flu. It appears Mueller will be in the lineup tonight at Fenway Park against the Orioles . . . Ramirez, Ortiz, Edgar Renteria, and Mark Bellhorn have played in all 19 games. "I don't want them to take days off, but sometimes it sneaks up on you and you need a day," said Francona. "It's up to us to monitor that." . . . Ramirez made a nice leaping catch to rob Carl Crawford of extra bases in the fifth. He then lobbed the ball backward into the stands . . . Over the last seven games, the Sox and Yankees both won Monday, lost Tuesday, won Wednesday and Thursday, lost Friday and Saturday, and won Sunday . . . Devil Rays catcher Charles Johnson left after two innings with a sore right shoulder . . . Wade Miller's rehabilitation start with Double A Portland was rained out for the second straight day.
