FINAL: RAYS 2, SOX 1

IT BEGAN WITH A BLOOP (10:04, END 9, 2-1 RAYS)
Dioner Navarro won the game with a walk-off, one-out single to center with the bases loaded. He lifted a 2-2 fastball from Justin Masterson over the head of Coco Crisp, who could only jog back a few steps and watch the ball hop to the fence. Navarro raised his hands running down the first-base line.

The Rays, back in first place by themselves, dogpiled at about where the shortstop stands on the infield dirt.

Masterson began the inning by throwing a pair of strikes. On an 0-2 pitch, Masterson fired a pitch inside to Jason Bartlett. The ball drilled the handle of his bat, right off the fists, and blooped into right field. Up came Pena; in the middle of his at-bat, Hideki Okajima uncorked a wild pitch from the bullpen, and it rolled into the infield, negating a strike. The count still 1-1, not 1-2, Pena looked at ball two. The count ran full. Masterson walked Pena on an inside curve ball, bringing up Longoria with men on first and second with no outs.

Longoria showed bunt on Masterson's first pitch, deadening the ball foul at the plate. He swung through a curve for strike two. Masterson threw a fastball inside; 1-2. He came with a fastball, at the knees and on the outside corner, that Longoria looked at for a monster strikeout.

Masterson went 0-2 to Cliff Floyd as well, the drilled him on the shin with a fastball. Floyd limped to first, loading the bases with one out and Navarro at the plate.

"WELL, I'M ALL SETTLED IN FOR THE NEXT EIGHT INNINGS" (9:46, MID 9, 1-1)
So sayeth prolific commenter Mr. Snitch. This game is becoming eerily similar to the last Sonnanstine-Beckett duel, which eventually went to the 14th at 1-1. The Red Sox were cooperating in full, starting the inning with two groundouts, until Mike Lowell flared a single to left. Jonathan Van Every came in to pinch run. Kotsay, who came to the plate on a 1-for-20 slump, kept the inning alive with a walk.

Maddon called for Dan Wheeler to replace Howell with Jed Lowrie, batting .323 with runners in scoring position, coming to the plate. On a count 1-2 count, Wheeler struck out Lowrie on a high, 88-mph fastball.

It will be the job of Justin Masterson to keep the possibility of extra innings alive; he's entering now. It will be Bartlett, Pena (the man who ended the last game like this), and Longoria trying to end the game now. Settle in.

Lowrie is at third, Alex Cora is at short; Van Every is out.

BECKETT STILL STRONG (9:30 END 8, 1-1)
The first pitch of the inning brough some controversy. Beckett threw inside, and Ruggiano made a half-swing. The ball struck the end of the bat/Ruggiano's hands. Home plate umpire Gary Darling called a hit-by-pitch and sent Ruggiano to first, a decision Terry Francona came out to argue. Gross bounced weakly to first, enough to push Ruggiano to second with one out. Fortunately for the Red Sox, Fernando Perez came up next; he struck out looking on four pitches, the last of which was a 93-mph heater. Iwamura hit a harmless fly ball to center to end the inning. Beckett has thrown 95 pitches, and his night is likely over.

Howell still in for Tampa.

SPEED KILLS RALLY (9:21, MID 8, 1-1)
Ellsbury bounded another one up the middle and beat out Bartlett's off-balance, one-hop throw to first. With one out and Pedroia up, it was clear the Red Sox wanted him in scoring position. He eked out a sizable lead; Howell threw over. On the second pitch Howell threw, Ellsbury broke for second. Not a bad jump, not a great one, either. Navarro threw an absolute seed, right on the first-side edge of second base. Ellsbury slid in centimeters late. Tough call, but probably the right one. Pedroia then popped to first base.

Justin Masterson and Javier Lopez are warming up in the 'pen. Right-lefty action.

HOWELL IN FOR BALFOUR (9:14, TOP 8, 1-1)
Lefty J.P. Howell has replaced Balfour, who retired Crisp on a fly to center to begin the eighth. Ellsbury is currently on deck for Boston. Bad timing for Jason Bay to have a kid. (Only kidding.)

BECKETT PLOWS THROUGH (9:10, END 7, 1-1)
After the homer to Pena, Beckett required only six pitches to retire Longoria (strikeout), Floyd (grounder to first) and Navarro. He's thrown 85 now. He's probably got at least one more in him; no one is throwing in the 'pen.

Justin Ruggiano entered the game for Hinske and is playing left field.

EASY SEVENTH FOR BALFOUR, RAYS ON THE BOARD (9:07, MID 7, 1-1)
Kotsay, Lowrie, Varitek all flied out. Beckett is still on the mound to start the inning. He threw 77 pitches, 50 strikes, through six full. There was some stirring in the Sox pen, but no one is throwing yet.

And hey, now. Pena led off the seventh with a home run, taking the first pitch to left field, the opposite field for him.

SONNANSTINE DONE, BECKETT CRUISING (8:58, END 6, 1-0 SOX)
To start the inning, Perez bunted a 93-mph fastball foul, popping it up for an easy catch by Varitek. (Lowell saw it coming; he was playing infield-distance third base.) Iwamura followed with a single to left -- he's hit every ball this series the other way. Bartlett bounced back to Beckett, who rocketed -- really rocketed -- the ball to Pedroia covering. Pedroia made a nice turn while Iwamura slid in hard, and his throw arrived in plenty of time.

Beckett has now allowed one run on 12 hits in 17 innings since he returned from the disabled list.

Balfour is in the game. Sonnanstine struck out five and allowed three hits and one unearned run.

SOX STRIKE (8:49, MID 6, 1-0 SOX)
Ellsbury started the inning with an Ellsbury Special, a big-hopper over the pitcher's head that Iwamura fielded on the second bounce as Ellsbury landed on first. Pedroia smashed one right at Longoria, who booted what seemed to be a pretty simple hop. His throw was late, putting men on first and second and bringing Ortiz to the plate with no outs. Ortiz grounded to first, which pushed the runners over.

Up came Youkilis, the kind of professional hitter you want at the plate with less than two outs, a man on third, and a tie game. Youkilis popped a 3-1 pitch foul and out of play, then barely nicked Sonnanstine's next pitch. Youkilis then did his job, lifting a fly ball to relatively deep left. Lowell stranded Pedroia with an infield pop-up. (That run is unearned, but Youkilis still gets the RBI.)

The Rays have a reliever warming up; it looks like Grant Balfour. Sonnanstine has thrown more than 90 pitches.

BECKETT ESCAPES (8:35, END 5, 0-0)
With Floyd on second and Navarro on first, Beckett struck out Hinske on a 3-2, 87-mph changeup. Gross came to the plate next. Beckett threw a ball far inside at the knees; came back with a strike; threw a fastball that Gross fouled off; threw a curve in the dirt; and then, on a 2-2 count, threw an 88-mph change down and in that Gross flailed at for strike three.

No damage done by the Rays, but they did force Beckett to throw a lot of pitches that inning. He's up to 67 (or so).

CAN A BLOG POST JINX A NO-HITTER? (8:30, BOT 5, 0-0)
Does "remain hitless" count as a phrase that would jinx one? Anyway, Cliff Floyd got the Rays' first hit and base runner, a no-doubt-about-it liner to right. It seemed to be coming -- Evan Longoria ripped the first pitch of the inning to center, but it screamed right at Coco Crisp. Beckett walked Navarro after.

A BASE RUNNER! (8:18, MID 5, 0-0)
And that's all. Varitek walked after Lowrie struck out to lead off. Coco Crisp followed by lining to shortstop. Bartlett could have caught the ball, but instead he let it short-hop into his glove and flipped to Iwamura, who relayed to first to easily get Crisp. Sonnanstine has now allowed one run over 12 innings in the past week. His curveball, especially when the count is in his favor, seems to be vexing the Sox most.

Lowell is still in at third.

GREAT PLAY FOR LOWELL, AND PERHAPS SOME TROUBLE (8:10, END 4, 0-0)
Lowell charged a dribbler by Jason Bartlett, grabbed it with his bare-hand and made a crisp throw to first to nail him. It was a great play, but Terry Francona and a Red Sox trainer came out to check on him afterward. Lowell stayed in the game. Lowell has a tear of the labrum in his right hip.

The Rays remain hitless. Becket is just mowing them down. Pena lined weakly to second to end the inning.

STILL NO OFFENSE (8:05, MID 4, 0-0)
Youkilis, who nearly snuck one through the left side, Mike Lowell, and Kotsay went down in order. Kotsay is now 1 for his last 18 and is batting .213 in his last 12 games including tonight. Sonnanstine is only getting stronger. Can Beckett keep matching him? Can he last as long? Beckett is pretty close to being unrestricted pitch count-wise, but still may need to come out about 10-15 pitches before he normally would.

BECKETT DOMINANT (7:58, END 3, 0-0)
The pitchers have complete control of this game. Eric Hinske almost broke through with the Rays' first hit, but Pedroia made an exquisite backhanded play up the middle, then made an on-the-money throw fading toward center. Real nice. Beckett struck out Perez looking at a 92-mph fastball to end the inning.

Also, it's actually Evelyn Jane Bay, not the other way, as I originally had it below. It's changed now. Apologies.

GOOD NEWS (7:52, MID 2, 0-0)
Evelyn Jane Bay was born at 6:47 tonight, and Jason arrived about 45 minutes before his wife gave birth to the couple's second child. Extra Bases passes along its congratulations and wishes nothing but the best to the Bay family.

The Red Sox went down in order in the second, although Ellsbury smoked one, but right at Iwamura at second base, and David Ortiz blasted a pitch all the way to the warning track, where Fernando Perez snared it at the wall.

BECKETT QUICKLY THROUGH 2(7:47, END 2, 0-0)
Beckett needed roughly 10 pitches to retire the Rays in order once again. Cliff Floyd hit a ball hard, a laser to left, but it found Jacoby Ellsbury's glove. Dioneer Navarro followed by belting a liner to right, but it was right at Kotsay. Maybe a little luck for Beckett, but he is pummelling the strike zone.

RED SOX STRAND A PAIR (7:38, MID 2, 0-0)
Mike Lowell led off with a walk, always a troubling sign for the pitcher. Mark Kotsay struck out on a 72-mph curve (he's now 1 for his last 17), and then Jed Lowrie -- the only Sox starter without a hit last night (he did have three walks, though) -- roped a single to right. Jason Varitek found himself in a 1-2 count, fouled a pitch off, looked at a ball way outside, looked at an extremely close ball just off the black, then looked at strike three, which crossed the plate near his knees. He yelled at the umpire and pointed to the dirt before he trudged back to the dugout. Coco Crisp struck out on three pitches, the final one a curve, allowing Sonnanstine to escape the jam by striking out the side.

BECKETT ROLLS (7:29, END 1, 0-0)
Josh Beckett continued his excellent return from his arm trouble, rolling through the Rays 1-2-3 after the Sox went down scoreless in the first, too. Beckett used 17 pitches, 11 strikes, to retire Akinori Iwamura, Jason Bartlett, and Carlos Pena. He struck out Pena.

Dustin Pedroia has the game's lone hit, an infield single to short that he beat out. So far (and, yes, it's only one inning), the game resembles the last Beckett-Andy Sonnanstine match-up, when both pitches allowed one run and the teams played until 10 past midnight, tied 1-1 until Mike Timlin took over. All of that probably won't happen again; the point is, you've got a couple young, sturdy right-handers hurling tonight.