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THE "IDIOTS" REVERSE THE CURSE
The Sox were worse than the Devil Rays
May 20, 2004 ... Derek
Lowe, a mere two years removed from his historic no-hitter against Tampa Bay at Fenway Park, survived only 2 1/3 innings against the next generation of batting-challenged Rays before he departed to a cacophony of boos. In his second-shortest outing in 76 starts since he joined the rotation in 2001, Lowe suddenly snapped in the
third inning, surrendering seven straight hits as the Rays routed him and stuck the Sox in a 7-0 quagmire.
But if Lowe looked like something bad, Carlos Zambrano looked no better. In one of the ugliest displays of control in recent memory, Zambrano walked nine batters (the most by a starter in Tampa Bay history) and plunked another to allow the Sox to crawl back into
contention, 7-6. Zambrano, who was left by manager Lou Piniella to stew in his own mediocrity, wound up firing 132 pitches (only 68 for strikes) before he mercifully was lifted with two outs in the fifth.
With both teams reeling at the hands of their own bedeviled starters, the Rays ultimately outlasted the Sox, 9-6, before 12,401 at Tropicana Field on a night to forget, if possible. Lowe and his mates had little choice but to try as they prepared for a long flight home.
The Sox lost for the first time in six games against the Rays this season as they finished their weeklong swing through Toronto and Tampa Bay with a record of 4-3.
If only Lowe could say the same. His disaster unfolded in strange fashion, since he met his pregame goal of throwing first-pitch strikes and avoiding the walks that have plagued him much of the season. He threw his first pitch for a strike to the first 11 batters and 13
of 15 overall. And he walked none. But once the Rays began rolling, he was unable to recover as his ERA rose to a horrific 6.02. |
