Time to take series seriously

Rays' standing has a new look

BALTIMORE - For now, it ranks more as novelty than high drama, this notion of the Red Sox playing a showdown series in June against the Tampa Bay Rays. Ten straight seasons of more than 90 losses, including three years of 100 or more, is a daunting counterweight to the proposition that the Rays now rate as serious contenders in the American League East simply because they've played well for two months.

Especially since the Rays, after sweeping three from the Sox at Tropicana Field at the end of April, came to Boston a week later and were crushed three straight by a 26-10 aggregate.

But the Rays are coming off an impressive sweep of the Chicago White Sox, leaders of the AL Central, that pushed them a franchise-best 13 games over .500. They are stocked with an abundance of developing talent that is fast becoming the envy of the league, veteran (and still young) Rays like Carl Crawford and Scott Kazmir now joined by the likes of B.J. Upton, Akinori Iwamura, Evan Longoria, James Shields, and Matt Garza.

The Sox will be challenged in their attempt to extend a 10-game home winning streak and improve on the majors' best home winning percentage (.808, 21-5).

An interesting sidelight to this matchup is that it pits the league's top two teams in stolen bases. The Rays lead the league with 62, though they've been caught a league-high 23 times, a 72.9 percent success rate. The Sox have 52 stolen bases while being caught just 11 times, an 82.5 percent success rate.

The Sox are 6 for 6 in stolen base attempts against the Rays this season, while the Rays are 5 of 6 against the Sox. Two of those steals came against knuckleballer Tim Wakefield April 25 in the Trop; they did not steal a base in the three games at Fenway.

Jacoby Ellsbury, who leads the league with 27 steals, has two against the Rays. Upton is third in the league with 17, Crawford is fifth with 15, and Jason Bartlett also is in double figures with 10.

"We haven't been able to cash it in very much," catcher Jason Varitek said, "but it puts an extra amount of pressure on the other team, which we haven't been able to do. We've got a lot of big donkeys who clog up the bases."

Before he returned to Boston to undergo an MRI on his left wrist, David Ortiz marveled at Ellsbury's speed, colorfully describing the rookie as someone who runs with a torpedo strategically placed in a body cavity. "I told him in the training room, 'Let's trade my power for your speed,' " Ortiz said with a laugh. "I said, 'You'll be a DH.'

"What speed. He's so fast, he goes past the bag when he steals. He said to me, 'Papi, does it bother you when you're at bat and I steal?' Some guys say they can't focus when someone is stealing. That's the stupidest [thing] I have ever heard. I say, 'Get closer [to scoring].' "

Full speed ahead

Ellsbury began last night with seven stolen bases (and one caught stealing) in three games, the most steals in a three-game span since Rafael Furcal of the Dodgers stole seven last Sept. 13-15. Research by the Sox could not find any Sox player who has had as many as seven steals in a three-game span. Ellsbury did not have a steal last night.

Ellsbury, remember, never slid while stealing bases in high school in Madras, Ore., and doesn't recall ever being thrown out - "maybe once on a bad call, which can happen," he said the other day.

At Oregon State, he said, the reason he didn't run more was that opposing pitchers constantly threw over to first base to keep him close. "It was pick, pick, pick, pick, home, pick, pick, pick, home," Ellsbury said. "That took all the rhythm out of the game."

Because he has mastered a crossover step and doesn't dive back into the bag, which saves on the wear and tear, Ellsbury said he doesn't mind opposing pitchers throwing over.

"If they want to do that," he said, "that just takes their focus away from getting the batter out, I've done my job as a base runner. If David Ortiz is up and they know I'm not going to run, they're going to pitch him exactly the way they want to. But if there's a chance I might be going, they may change one pitch in the at-bat, throw a fastball instead of a curveball, or maybe miss by a couple of inches, which could be the difference between an out and a line drive."

Masterson back

The Sox, as expected, will summon 23-year-old Justin Masterson from Pawtucket to make his third start and second in two weeks tonight against the Rays. Masterson went six innings, allowing just a run, for his first major league victory May 20 against the Royals. Last Thursday, in his Pawtucket debut, he also went six innings and allowed just a run. On each of his previous two call-ups, Masterson was returned immediately to the minors. With Daisuke Matsuzaka on the disabled list, Masterson is likely to stick around for another start. "We'll figure out what to do," Francona said, "but it'll be nice to talk to him rather than just send him down." . . . The Sox plan to present Jon Lester with the pitching rubber in honor of his no-hitter in pregame ceremonies tonight . . . Francona said that he was just resting Dustin Pedroia last night, with Alex Cora getting the start at second base . . . Sox relievers had strung together 14 consecutive scoreless innings since Mike Timlin gave up the winning run last Tuesday night in Seattle, but Hideki Okajima last night allowed the Orioles the tying and go-ahead runs in the eighth to break the streak at 14 1/3 innings.