Projo Sox Blog

BOSTON - Paul Byrd couldn't hold a 4-0 first inning lead but the Red Sox scored a single run in the eighth inning and beat the Indians tonight, 5-4, at Fenway.
Tampa Bay bounced back from a 5-0 deficit to win in Baltimore, 11-6. Thw win lowers the Rays' magic number to one and all but ends any hope of a miracle Red Sox run to the A.L. East crown.
Now the focus needs to turn to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Boston will travel to L.A.-L.A. Land next week and try to maintain their mastery of the Angels in the playoffs. A few questions still need to be resolved over the final four days of the season (please, please, no rain!), most notably the health of J.D. Drew and Mike Lowell and the Red Sox' starting rotiation.
Drew played last night and looked okay, stroking a hit and scroing a run. He also committed an error fielding a bouncing ball in right field and reported that his legs were `a little rubbery.' We'll see if he can make it back onto the field again Thursday.
Byrd pitched for the final time in the regular season and wasn;t very sharp. After being staked a 4-0 lead in a 51-pitch first inning (thanks, Fausto Carmona), Byrd let his former team scratch out four runs over five innings. He surrendered 11 hits.
If Terry Francona decides to go with a four-man starting rotation against the Angels, he'll pick either Byrd or Tim Wakefield to make the final start. That decision likely won't come until early next week at the earliest.
``Whatever Terry decides is fine with me," the classy Byrd said. "I'm glad that someone took a chance on me. I was having a tough year."

KEVIN McNAMARA

 Tags  JD Drew Paul Byrd Terry Francona

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