JJ not dynamite as D-Rays take 3rd from Sox

Embarrassing is getting caught picking your nose in front of a group of girls (happened to your Uncle Buck). Embarrassing is trying to cut across campus in college during a rainy day by going down a muddy hill and falling on your ass, sliding all the way down, and stopping just short of a group of girls (happened to UB). Embarrassing is losing 3 in a row to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (that one happened to the Red Sox). The Sox are now 1-5 at Tampa Bay this year after last night's 5-2 loss.

Jason Johnson got his 2nd start in a Red Sox uniform and for the 2nd time he struggled early and was little to no help to the team, even allowing a steal of home last night.

From the Globe: In 14 starts with the Indians, Johnson was 3-8 with a 5.96 ERA and was hit at an unsettling .371 clip. In two starts with the Sox (June 30 at Florida and last night) he's lasted four innings each time out . His total line: 8 IP, 13 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 6 BBs, 5 Ks. That's an 0-2 record and a 10.13 ERA.

Amazingly the Devil Rays didn't score more runs as JJ allowed 11 baserunners in his first 3 innings of work.

The Red Sox offense didn't supply much support for JJ, with a solo-home run by Jason Varitek and a sac-fly from Kevin Youkilis. Youkilis was making a bid for a home run when the ball hit one of the catwalks and was caught. The rule at Tropicana Field is that the ball is in play and not a home run unless it hits the outer cat walk...Reason #745 that Tampa Bay sucks....

So after being bested by the D-Rays (especially in starts from Beckett and Schilling), what is up next for the Sox? How about more D-Rays tonight...then a matchup with the defending champion Chicago White Sox in Chicago...

And of course, as UB predicted the Yankoffs used their 19-1 loss to Cleveland to win the next game, thanks to a strong start from Mike Mussina. Sox now lead the Yankoffs by 3...