Rays Power Way to 3-1 Lead!

For the second straight night the Tampa Rays pounded the Boston Red Sox and not many people were in Fenway Park to see it end. The Rays powered by back to back home runs by Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria in the first inning cruised to a 13-4 win to take a commanding 3-1 series lead in the ALCS.  Andy Sonnastine pitched brilliantly for the Rays allowing 4 runs, only 3 earned on 6 hits in 7.1 innings pitched. Carl Crawford and Willy Aybar took care of the rest for the upstart Rays. Crawford went 5 of 5 with 3 runs scored, 2 RBI and  2 stolen bases. Aybar was 4 of 5 with a HR and 5 RBI serving as the Rays DH on Tuesday. Fernando Perez and Akinori Iwamura were the only Rays without a base hit in the game. 

  The Red Sox Tim Wakefield was roughed up for 5 runs on 6 hits in 2.2 innings and took the loss. Justin Masterson was solid in his 2.1 innings of relief. Manny Delcarmen removed all doubt when he came in and surrendered 5 runs in his one third inning of work in the sixth. Kevin Cash homered in his first post season at bat to cut the Rays lead to 5-1.  Dustin Pedroia added a RBI in the seventh and Kevin Youkillis drove home 2 in the eight.  David Ortiz finally picked up his first hit of this ALCS in game 4 as he was 1 of 4 and is now 1 of 15 in the series. Coco Crisp got the start in center field as Jacoby Elsburry (hitless in the LCS) was relegated to pinch hit duty in the 8th.  Game 5 will be Thursday night in Fenway Park as the Sox will take the off day to regroup. It will be a rematch of Game 1 as game 1 winner Dasuike Matsuzaka will face James Shields. First pitch is set for 8:22 PM Eastern time as the Sox will look to come from down 3-1 for the second straight ALCS.