The Boston Red Sox won their 90th game of this special season on Thursday at Fenway Park.They got to 90 before any other team in the major
leagues reached 80.But this weekend
Trea Turner Jersey , Boston, winners of the final two games of a four-game series with the Cleveland Indians to pick up a split, run into a young
Tampa Bay club on a roll.Article continues below ...It started last Sunday, when
Diego Castillo was the “opener” and former Red Sox prospect Jalen Beeks won in
relief as the Rays handed Hector Velazquez his first loss of the season.On
Friday night, Castillo again opens for Tampa Bay, winners of five straight games
to get to a season-high six games above .500, at The Trop and Beeks is expected
to pitch much of the body of the game.Oh, and Velazquez starts for the Red Sox
(90-39).The Rays flew home from Boston and swept four straight from the lowly
Kansas City Royals, finishing a 7-0 sweep of the season series on a walk-off
throwing error Thursday night.It’s the first sweep of a season series against an
American League opponent in the history of the franchise.“Four-game sweep, it’s
awesome — we’ve having a lot of fun right now
http://www.nationalsfanproshop.com/authentic-matt-wieters-jersey , so hopefully just keep it rolling,” said Kevin Kiermaier, whose grounder led to
the Ryan O’Hearn throwing error that gave the Rays their eighth walkoff win of
the season.Earlier in the day, David Price, 4-0 with a 1.09 ERA since the
All-Star break, threw eight shutout innings and the Red Sox broke a scoreless
tie with a six-run fifth inning to rout the Indians in the finale of the
potential postseason matchup.Asked if this is his best stretch with the Red Sox
since signing a $217 million contract, Price, who won his 14th game, said, “By
far. Absolutely. To not have that really bad game mixed in at some
point
Joe Blanton Jersey , that’s good. This is the pitcher Boston signed. So for me to get back to that, it’s about time.”The Red Sox lost Mitch Moreland in
the first inning to a left knee bruise suffered when trying to catch a foul pop
and sliding into a concrete barrier. He stayed in the game but was limping when
he singled in the bottom of the first and left — in favor of Blake Swihart. The
latter contributed a two-run double in the big fifth.“Little sore,” Moreland
said after the game. “Went after the ball in the first there, concrete ledge on
the field that I kind of went into. I hit the outside of it pretty good. But
it’s getting better. A little sore right now though.”The Red Sox are 11-5
against the Rays this season. Velazquez is 1-1 and Friday’s appearance will give
him half his starts against Tampa Bay. He is 1-1 with a 2.12 ERA in 17 innings
pitched against the Rays.Boston’s lead over the New York Yankees atop the
American League East, which had dropped from 10 1/2 to eight games, is back up
to 9 1/2.Castillo went 1 2/3 innings as the “opener” last Sunday before Beeks,
acquired from Boston in the Nathan Eovaldi deal, threw four shutout innings,
allowing just one hit, to beat his old team.Now
Howie Kendrick Jersey , he’ll apparently get the chance to help his new team win its sixth straight.Sergio Romo picked up the win in relief Thursday
night, as the Rays improved to 37-24 at The Trop.Matt Duffy is 5-for-7 (.714)
against Velazquez, and Joey Wendle homered off the right-hander leading off the
second inning last Sunday.Eovaldi pitches against his former team Sunday, when
he will face 15-game winner Blake Snell. ST. LOUIS (AP) — Even John Gant cracked
a smile.Gant homered for his first major league hit and pitched one-run ball
into the sixth inning, helping the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Washington
Nationals 6-4 on Tuesday night for their season-high seventh consecutive
victory.Kolten Wong had three hits and three RBIs as St. Louis (65-55) pulled
within four games of the NL Central-leading Chicago Cubs and moved within one
game of the Philadelphia Phillies for the second NL wild card. The Cardinals
also improved to 18-9 since Mike Shildt was named interim manager on July 13,
the most wins for a manager through his first 27 games in franchise
history.“Things are starting to click for us,” Wong said. “We’re playing
confident. We’re out there playing aggressive and I think it’s the kind of
baseball Cardinals fans have been waiting for.”The Nationals (60-60) have
dropped six of eight to fall eight games behind Atlanta in the NL East.“We’ve
just got to keep pulling the same rope, keep grinding it out, keep trying to win
ballgames,” Nationals slugger Bryce Harper said.Gant (5-4) permitted four hits
and struck out six in 5 1/3 innings. He has given up just two earned runs over
11 1/3 innings in his last two starts
Sean Doolittle Jersey , both wins.The 26-year-old Gant was 0 for 30 for his career when he drove a 1-1 pitch from Gio Gonzalez (7-9) over the wall in
left in the second. The two-run shot gave Washington a 3-0 lead.“I was jogging
kind of my hands in the air,” said Wong, who scored on Gant’s homer. “I already
knew it was going out. Looking back I think he almost caught me.”Added Gant, “I
thought it was going to hit the wall maybe but when I finally looked up and
(Wong) was looking back at me, that’s when I knew it was going over the
wall.”Gant, who has a reputation for being a stoic player, admitted to smiling
“once or twice” once he got back to the dugout.Wong’s solo homer made it 6-1 in
the sixth, but Washington responded with three in the eighth. Harper hit a
two-run shot, and Daniel Murphy singled in Anthony Rendon.Matt Adams then struck
out looking against Dakota Hudson, ending the inning
http://www.nationalsfanproshop.com/authentic-wilmer-difo-jersey , and Jordan Hicks worked the ninth for his fourth save in eight chances.Paul
DeJong also doubled and scored for St. Louis one night after he connected for a
game-ending homer in a 7-6 victory. Matt Carpenter walked in the sixth to extend
his on-base streak to 32 games.“We have a 25-man roster and we have confidence
in all of them,” Shildt said. “They’re here for a reason and guys are looking to
contribute every night and in different ways.”Gonzalez was charged with five
runs and five hits in four innings. The veteran left-hander is just 1-4 in his
last six starts.“I wasn’t hitting my spots,” Gonzalez said. “Just not being as
consistent in the strike zone as I should be. It’s just one of those games you
can’t explain.”IRONMANSt. Louis star Yadier Molina played in his 22nd
consecutive game, the most by a catcher 35 years or older in major league
history.TRAINING ROOMNationals: Reliever Ryan Madson was placed on the 10-day
disabled list with a back injury. RHP Trevor Gott and LHP Tim Collins were
promoted from Triple-A Syracuse, LHP Sammy Solis was sent down, and RHP Erick
Fedde was moved from the 10-day to the 60-day disabled list.Cardinals: OF Tyler
O’Neill (groin) was activated from the 10-day disabled list and OF Adolis Garcia
was optioned to Triple-A Memphis.UP NEXTThe Nationals will start right-hander
Jeremy Hellickson (5-2, 3.54 ERA) in the third game of a four-game set. Austin
Gomber (2-0, 3.45 ERA) pitches for the Cardinals on Wednesday night. Hellickson
is 2-2 with a 4.13 ERA in five career starts against St. Louis. Gomber is coming
off his first win as a starter in a 7-0 Cardinals victory against the Kansas
City Royals last Friday.
