Dice-K Muzzles Rays in ALCS Opener

By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Oct 10, 2008 11:29 PM CDT
Dice-K Muzzles Rays in ALCS Opener
Tampa Bay Rays catcher Dioner Navarro checks on Boston Red Sox's J.D. Drew after Drew was hit by a pitch Game 1 of the AL championship series in St. Petersburg, Fla., Friday, Oct. 10, 2008.    (Chris O'Meara)

Unhittable most of the game, Daisuke Matsuzaka and the Boston Red Sox taught Tampa Bay all about dominant postseason pitching, the AP reports. Matsuzaka took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning and the defending World Series champions played a little better in every way, beating the Rays 2-0 tonight in the opener of the AL championship series.

Jed Lowrie snapped a scoreless tie with a sacrifice fly and Kevin Youkilis drove home another run with a seventh-inning double off left fielder Carl Crawford's glove as the playoff-savvy Red Sox beat baseball's best home team on its own turf. Jonathan Papelbon closed out Boston's team-record sixth straight postseason road win. Now the upstart Rays, who held off Boston for the AL East title, are the ones doing the chasing. (More baseball playoffs stories.)

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