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Moriarty9 · 06-07-2009, 10:38 PM

Rays blank Sox in finale
Rowand homer is game's only run
September 28, 2003

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Devil Rays head into the playoffs after closing out the regular season with a 1-0 win at home over the Boston Red Sox.

John Stephens put together a fine performance, throwing 7 1/3 shutout innings of baseball, giving up six hits and one walk, striking out nine Boston batters. Stephens gave way to left-hander Barry Zito who, after a couple hits to load the bases with one out, finished the eighth inning with a pair of strikeouts, to bridge the gap to closer Byung-Hyun Kim.

"Barry's had some struggles lately, it would have been his normal day to throw, so with a few lefties coming up for the Red Sox, I decided to run him out there and get some work in during a tight ballgame to get ready for the next set of games," said Devil Rays manager Christian O'Neal. "It took a couple batters to settle in, but he locked down when he had to out there."

Stephens improves to 9-6 with a 3.53 ERA after 18 starts. He started the year out of the bullpen, and recorded two saves in his 11 relief appearances for Tampa Bay.

Devil Rays outfielder Aaron Rowand hit a solo home run off Red Sox southpaw Chuck Finley in the fifth inning, staking Tampa Bay to a 1-0 lead that Stephens and the bullpen managed to make stick. It was Rowand's fifth homer of the year, and helped the 40-year-old Finley wrap up the year at 13-13 with a 3.59 ERA.

Victor Martinez went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles for Tampa Bay while Boston rightfielder Ichiro Suzuki picked up three hits, including a double.

The Devil Rays finish the season at 108-54, champions of the American League East for the third consecutive season. The team has set a new franchise record for wins, eclipsing last year's mark of 106 wins.

Boston finishes at 80-82, 28 games behind the East and seven back in the Wild Card race.

06-07-2009, 10:38 PM	#345 (permalink)
Moriarty9 All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1,858 Thanks: 10 Thanked 3x in 3 posts	Rays blank Sox in finale Rowand homer is game's only run September 28, 2003 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Devil Rays head into the playoffs after closing out the regular season with a 1-0 win at home over the Boston Red Sox. John Stephens put together a fine performance, throwing 7 1/3 shutout innings of baseball, giving up six hits and one walk, striking out nine Boston batters. Stephens gave way to left-hander Barry Zito who, after a couple hits to load the bases with one out, finished the eighth inning with a pair of strikeouts, to bridge the gap to closer Byung-Hyun Kim. "Barry's had some struggles lately, it would have been his normal day to throw, so with a few lefties coming up for the Red Sox, I decided to run him out there and get some work in during a tight ballgame to get ready for the next set of games," said Devil Rays manager Christian O'Neal. "It took a couple batters to settle in, but he locked down when he had to out there." Stephens improves to 9-6 with a 3.53 ERA after 18 starts. He started the year out of the bullpen, and recorded two saves in his 11 relief appearances for Tampa Bay. Devil Rays outfielder Aaron Rowand hit a solo home run off Red Sox southpaw Chuck Finley in the fifth inning, staking Tampa Bay to a 1-0 lead that Stephens and the bullpen managed to make stick. It was Rowand's fifth homer of the year, and helped the 40-year-old Finley wrap up the year at 13-13 with a 3.59 ERA. Victor Martinez went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles for Tampa Bay while Boston rightfielder Ichiro Suzuki picked up three hits, including a double. The Devil Rays finish the season at 108-54, champions of the American League East for the third consecutive season. The team has set a new franchise record for wins, eclipsing last year's mark of 106 wins. Boston finishes at 80-82, 28 games behind the East and seven back in the Wild Card race.