Red Sox 1, Rays 0 (16)
Dustin Pedroia’s two-out single in the 16th inning scored Josh Reddick with the only run of the game and the Boston Red Sox edged the Tampa Bay Rays 1-0 in a marathon at Tropicana Field Sunday night.
It was the longest game in Tampa Bay history. The game took nearly six hours to complete and despite the length the two teams combined for just eight hits.
Pedroia had three of them and his line drive to right field scored Reddick who had walked and ended a night of futility for the Red Sox, which left 17 men on base.
Alfredo Aceves (5-1) got the win and Jonathan Papelbon notched his 21st save.
Adam Russell (1-2) was the last of nine Ray pitchers and took the loss.
Both starters were brilliant but neither figured in the decision. Boston’s Josh Beckett allowed just one base-runner over eight innings. Evan Longoria singled off Beckett’s foot in the first inning but Beckett retired the next 22 batters he faced. He finished with six strikeouts and no walks. Beckett pitched a complete-game one-hitter against Tampa Bay in a 3-0 victory on June 15. He entered Sunday’s game second in the AL with a 2.27 ERA and left at 2.12. Jeff Niemann was equally as dominant for the Rays. He allowed a single to Adrian Gonzalez in the first inning and another to Pedroia in the fourth. With the hit Pedroia extended his hitting streak to 15 games. Niemann threw 118 pitches and a recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts. He walked two.
Boston had several scoring opportunities late in the contest including in the 11th when it loaded the bases on walks to start the inning. But the Rays’ bullpen retired Josh Reddick and Jason Varitek on strikeouts and Marco Scutaro fouled out.
Pedroia led off the ninth inning with a double. Reliever Kyle Farnsworth later walked Kevin Youkilis and J.D. Drew in the inning but with two outs Reddick flew out to center to end Boston’s biggest threat.
Rays manager Joe Maddon was ejected in the 11th inning for arguing with the home plate umpire and acting manager Dave Martinez was ejected at the end of the inning.