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Three key plays from Rays-Red Sox ALCS Game 1

By Dave Scheiber, Times Staff Writer
In print: Saturday, October 11, 2008

Jason Bartlett finds the ball before catching it for the final out of Boston’s fifth. Jacoby Ellsbury’s blooper came with a runner on third.
	[Getty Images]

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Plays worth another look

Undone run

The Rays got a good bounce in the first. Dustin Pedroia walked with one out, then sprinted home on a two-out hit on a 3-and-2 pitch to Kevin Youkilis (his first career hit in 18 at-bats against James Shields). But after landing just inside the rightfield line, the ball one-hopped over the wall for a ground-rule double, sending Pedroia back to third. Shields then struck out J.D. Drew to end the inning.

Turning two

The Red Sox threatened again in the fourth inning when Youkilis extended his success against Shields with a one-out single to left. The next batter, Drew, hit a hard grounder to second. But Akinori Iwamura scooped the ball up and shoveled to shortstop Jason Bartlett, who avoided Youkilis on the basepath and threw to Carlos Pena for the double play. The ball was a little low, but Pena made the a grab.

Sparkling D A pair of defensive gems by the Rays got Shields out of big trouble in the fifth. Boston scored the game's first run on a walk by Jason Bay, double by Mark Kotsay and sacrifice fly by Jed Lowrie. With one out and Kotsay on third, the Rays brought the infield in. Iwamuru smothered a smash by Jason Varitek, digging it out of the dirt and throwing to first while holding Kotsay. Jacoby Ellsbury followed by lofting a ball to shallow left-center, looking like a run-scoring single. But Bartlett ran it down and made an over-the-shoulder catch.