Rays rout Red Sox 10-3

SEPTEMBER 17, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Willy Aybar, Gabe Gross and Fernando Perez homered off Tim Wakefield and the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays beat the Boston Red Sox 10-3 Wednesday night to move closer to their first playoff berth.

Matt Garza gave up two long home runs to David Ortiz, but the Rays otherwise held the Red Sox in check to win the season series against the defending World Series champions 10-8 and extend their division lead over them to two games.

Tampa Bay, which had never won more than 70 games in a season before this year, can clinch at least a wild-card playoff berth by beating Minnesota twice during a four-game series that begins Thursday at Tropicana Field.

The Rays (90-60) became the sixth time in major league history to win 90 games immediately following a stretch of at least 10 consecutive losing seasons. The others are the 1912 Washington Senators, 1914 Boston Braves, 1956 Cincinnati Reds, 1979 Montreal Expos and 2006 Detroit Tigers are the others.

Associated Press

Posted by Times Editor at 10:02:19 pm on September 17, 2008 | Permalink | Comments |

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