nally

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Red Sox were nine outs away from a tidy getaway, not to mention a badly needed victory. But instead of that, they got what had to feel like a gut punch on their way out of Tropicana Field, which has been a house of horrors for the defending World Series champions this season.

聖彼得堡訊—紅襪九名打者井然有序的出局，更別提他們所想要的勝利了。
不過在純品康納球場中，襪子們似乎想用他們的方式給予重重一擊拿下勝利，
因為他們對於要在這一季，若想保住世界大戰的勝利  可是已經飽受驚嚇了。

How to describe what happened to the Boston bullpen in the bottom of the seventh inning? Meltdown would probably be the most fitting word. Craig Hansen and Manny Delcarmen were charged with all six runs in the inning, and neither right-hander recorded an out. That's how a three-run lead turned into a 7-6 loss and a three-game sweep at the hands of the American League East-leading Tampa Bay Rays.

到底要如何形容今天「第七局」紅襪的牛棚發生什麼事呢？
就像核能電廠反應爐的核心，突然熔毀，也許是最好的形容了。
Craig Hansen以及Manny Delcarmen在這局內，被噴了六分，且沒有解決任何一人次。
這就是為什麼三分領先的局面變成七比六的輸球，也被美聯東區稱王的光芒橫掃系列戰三場。

"You see me out on the field that much, something's not going right," said manager Terry Francona. "We missed a lot of opportunities to spread the game out. Still, saying that, we had a lead. We got to Delcarmen, and things unraveled in a hurry. Our inability tonight to make pitches, throw strikes, cover first -- it led to a horrible inning. We kept playing, but giving up seven is too much." 

紅襪教頭粉科南說：「你看我們被連掃三場，有些事情不太對勁了，我們錯失很多機會來拉開比數，
還是要說我們本來是領先的，我們派上小咩泥，結果事情就一發不可收拾了。
我們這局裡頭，無法球數無法領先、丟不出好球、製造不出第一個出局者…
這真的是很慘烈的一局。我們仍然繼續反擊，但是失掉七分已經太多了（無力挽回）。」

Even after their most deflating half-inning of the season, the Red Sox made a valiant attempt at a comeback. Dustin Pedroia belted his fourth hit of the night, an RBI double in the eighth, to slice the deficit to 7-5. If he had singled in that spot, he would have become the first Boston player to hit for the cycle since John Valentin in 1996.

即使是在這一季的前半有點洩氣，紅襪仍然英勇的反擊。今晚Dustin Pedroia打出了四支安打，
讓比數追到7比5。他差一支一壘安打就完全打擊了耶，如果他完全打擊，
那就是從1996年的John Valentin之後，第一個紅襪打者完全打擊的唷。

"I was just trying to go up there and hit a ball hard those last two times I got up," said Pedroia. "When I got back after the double, guys were joking, 'You should have fallen down or something.' But I was just playing the game."
Pedroia became the first Red Sox second baseman since at least 1956 -- when records are first available -- to have four extra-base hits in a game, and the first Sox player to achieve the feat since Jason Varitek on July 4, 2003.
"I hit the ball well," he said. "I'd much rather win, though."

Pedroia說：「我試著要變好啊，打安打，我進化了。當我打完二壘安回來時，
隊友取笑我說：『我以為你應該會失敗之類的咧…』...但是我剛剛真的達到了」
Pedroia是從1956年以來第一個在一場比賽中打出四支二壘以上安打的紅襪二壘手，
也是從2003年7月4日以來第一個在一場比賽中打出四支二壘以上安打的紅襪打者。

The Red Sox tried to do just that in the top of the ninth, when they staged a promising rally against Rays reliever Dan Wheeler. It started with Manny Ramirez reaching on an error by shortstop Jason Bartlett. Mike Lowell followed with a single to right, putting runners at the corners with nobody out.
Up stepped Kevin Youkilis, who ripped a ball to deep right-center. But B.J. Upton made a game-saving play, racing to the wall and limiting the drive to a mere sacrifice fly. While Ramirez trotted home, Lowell retreated to first, his hands over his helmet and a look of utter disbelief on his face.

紅襪試著要在第九局反擊，他們本來對付投手Dan Wheeler大有可圖的，
開始是Manny Ramirez因為游擊手Jason Bartlett失誤而上壘，接著Mike Lowell打出一壘安打，
此時無人出局，後來Kevin Youkilis打穿深遠的中間方向，
結果B.J.漂亮接殺這個接近牆邊的飛球，造成高飛犧牲打。
Ramirez小跑步回來得分後，Lowell回到一壘包上，他的手放在他的帽子上，
且從他臉上看得出一絲質疑的聲音。

"When B.J. runs, he kind of glides," said Lowell. "It didn't look like he was at full speed, so I thought he was almost going to play it off the wall. I really thought it was going to drop. I'm at third for sure. Maybe it takes a carom or something. That's kind of the way the whole series went. They capitalized, and we didn't."
Francona tried to jump-start Varitek's slumping bat by calling for a hit and run. It nearly worked, as Varitek drilled a ball just foul down the first-base line that might have tied the game if it stayed fair. Francona called for it again, but Varitek swung and missed, and Lowell was out stealing second. Varitek then struck out to end the game, dropping his average to .216.

Lowell說：「當B.J.跑的時候，他有一點滑行，看起來不像他是全速在跑，
所以我認為他幾乎是離開牆才接住他。我真的認為球快要落下去了，我很確定。
也許球需要碰擊反跳回來之類的，總之這個系列賽就這樣了。
他們充分利用契機，而我們不行。」粉科南試著要恢復啟動Varitek下滑的打擊，
需要一支安打與得分。其實Varitek幾乎快做到了，假如Varitek打出刁鑽的球，
沿著一壘邊線的安打，本來可以讓比賽呈現僵局的，假如這球是公平的被判決…
粉科南真的很需要，但是Varitek揮空被三振，Lowell盜壘被抓，Varitek最後出局結束比賽讓他的打擊率降到0.216。

"I know it's a glaring moment in the game," said Francona. "I felt good about it. Again, I know it's crucial. I still thought it was going to work. The pitch before, he was actually more direct to the ball than he had been."
Varitek took the loss -- and the strikeout -- hard. After talking to the media, the captain sat at his locker and just stared straight ahead for quite a long time.
"This team did a great job battling back and presenting ourselves with another chance late. I put that [short-lived rally] on my shoulders," Varitek said.
In the middle of a five-game losing streak, the Red Sox now trail the Rays by 3 1/2 games in the AL East, their largest deficit since the end of the 2006 season. They are 0-6 at Tropicana Field this season. That is fitting, because the Rays are 0-6 at Fenway.

粉科南說：「我知道在這場比賽中，這是很關鍵的一刻…我可以充分感受到Varitek要變好了，
不過再次強調，我知道那是很重要，我也認為Varitek快要OK了，這球如果在以前的話，他一定會更直接。」
Varitek接受這樣的損失—三振！在跟媒體講完後，隊長坐在休息間，凝視前方一段時間。
Varitek說：「這個球隊的反擊力道是很猛的，也充分表現我們仍有機會。

The two teams won't meet again until Sept. 8, when the Rays come to Fenway for a three-game series.
"They took it to us," said Francona. "They beat us three games in a row. We came here to win, and didn't do a very good job."

這兩個球隊下次碰面是九月8日，下次光芒會作客到芬威球場打系列三連戰。
粉科南說：「他們把我們拿下，他們打贏我們一整個系列戰，我們來這邊要贏，只是做得並不好。」

On this decidedly down note, the Red Sox were prepared to spend the wee hours of the morning flying to New York, where they will start a four-game series on Thursday night at Yankee Stadium.

當然，紅襪隔天早上要啟程花短短車程前往洋基球場，
在那邊從星期四開始，要展開四連戰，

Though Daisuke Matsuzaka struggled with his control (five walks, 101 pitches in five innings), he was seemingly in position for his 10th win. The right-hander allowed just two hits and a run, striking out five.

雖然松阪的控球有些掙扎（五個保送，在5局內投101球），
但是他本來第10勝應該很穩了。這位右投他僅被打出兩支安打丟掉一分，送出五次三振。

Meanwhile, the Red Sox had worked Rays ace Scott Kazmir (five innings, seven hits, four runs, four walks, 107 pitches) in relentless fashion, mostly thanks to Pedroia's red-hot bat.

同時，紅襪用很無情的方式對付光芒隊的ACE王牌投手Scott Kazmir
（五局被打7支安打，丟掉四分，送出四次保送，共花費107顆球），
當然大部分都得感謝Pedroia的燙棒子。

But it all fell apart in a gruesome bottom of the seventh.
Bartlett started it with a double to right off Delcarmen. Bartlett then stole third. Akinori Iwamura made it 4-2 with a single that Youkilis made a diving stop on, but Delcarmen forgot to cover first. Then came a single through the hole at second base from Carl Crawford. Out came Francona.
"The pitch to Bartlett on 3-2, it was away, he slapped it down the line. He took third on me," Delcarmen said. "It was just a bad day in general."
Hansen couldn't help but agree. He walked Upton and then Carlos Pena, forcing in a run to make it 4-3. Evan Longoria smashed a two-run double to left-center, and the Rays had the lead for the first time all night. They would never give it up.

但是在七局就發生了很大的變化，光芒打者Bartlett對Delcarmen敲出二壘安打，
接著盜壘到三壘，Akinori Iwamura今天四支二，打了一壘安打，Youkilis有守住，
但是Delcarmen卻忘記在第一時間補位，一支安打就產生，於是趁著這個洞，
Carl Crawford跑上二壘。這時候粉科南就走出來了。
Delcarmen說：「對Bartlett投出的球到兩好三壞，他猛烈揮擊，沿著邊線，
他抓到我第三顆好球，整體而言今天很糟。」Hansen當然再同意不過了，
他保送了Upton及Carlos Pena，導致失分造成4比3的局面，
Evan Longoria敲出帶有兩分打點的二壘打到左中間方向，

而此時，光芒終於領先紅襪。他們沒放棄過。

"This series, they played better than us," Pedroia said. "They pitched better than us, they hit better than us, they hit in the clutch better than us. They beat us. That's why we didn't win any games. That's the way baseball is sometimes."
And the beauty of baseball, for the Red Sox at this moment, is that the season ends in October, not July.
"There's a lot of baseball left," Delcarmen said. "Remember that -- a lot of baseball left."

Pedroia說：「這系列戰，他們打得比我們好，他們投得比我們好，他們的安打比我們多，
他們在緊要關頭的安打也比我們多！這就是為什麼我門無法贏這三場的任何一場比賽，有時候棒球就是這樣。」

而對於紅襪而言，棒球之美，就在於這一季在10月才結束，而不是7月。

Delcarmen說：「還有很多場棒球比賽要打。記住！！還有很多場要打。」

松坂本季其他場次的先發

  松坂第1次先發 5局失2分 
  松坂第2次先發 6.2局失1分
  松坂第3次先發 6.2局失0分
  松坂第4次先發 5局失4分
  松坂第5次先發 5.1局失3分
  松坂第6次先發 7局失0分
  松坂第7次先發 5局失1分
  松坂第8次先發 7局失2分
  松坂第9次先發 6.2局失0分
  松坂第10次先發 5.2局失3分
  松坂第11次先發 4局失2分
  松坂第12次先發 1局失7分
  松坂第13次先發 5局失0分