nally

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20080915&content_id=3479907&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=bos

Red Sox are 'Trop' draw in AL East
Boston bash six homers to move into tie for first in division

ST. PETERSBURG --

 For weeks, the quest of catching the Tampa Bay Rays had been tantalizing, if not annoying. 
The Red Sox would get close -- like the half-game they chopped the American League East deficit down to a week ago -- 
but then they'd slip back. 

聖彼得堡訊—好幾個星期，如果沒有這麼惱人，探索光芒的表現一直是相當撩人的。
紅襪卻結束了這樣撩人的畫面—就像一星期前他們拉近了半場的勝差一樣，他們追平了勝差。

Finally, the Red Sox left nothing to chance, putting together a complete batting barrage en route to a 13-5 romp over the Rays on Monday night. Nobody could have seen this coming, not with Tampa Bay sending ace Scott Kazmir to the mound. 

紅襪沒有放棄任何機會，一次集中火力，在星期一痛擊光芒，取得13比5的勝利。沒有人在純品康納球場看過紅襪表現這樣子的，更別提這次光芒派的可是他們的ACE投手 --Scott Kazmir。

But the Red Sox shelled Kazmir (three-plus innings, six hits, nine runs and four walks) and kept swinging after his departure, belting six home runs in a game for the first time since Aug. 3, 2003. 

但是紅襪扒了Kazmir的皮之後，攻擊火力仍持續著，從2003年8月3日之後， Kazmir第一次在一場比賽中被打六支全壘打。

Just like that, the 89-61 Red Sox and 88-60 Rays are tied for the lead in the American League East, with two games left in this three-game showdown at Tropicana Field. It is the first time the Sox have even tasted a share of first place since the All-Star break. 

紅襪89勝61敗，光芒88勝-60敗，因此雙方並列美聯東區第一名。這系列戰還有兩場比賽，將會一決勝負。這也是從明星賽之後，紅襪第一次嚐到東區冠軍的滋味。

And after six straight losses at Tropicana Field, the Red Sox turned the tide at a venue they might even return to in October. 

在純品康納球場裡連輸六場之後，紅襪在室內球場扭轉了情勢，甚至可能在10月回到這邊。

"I think it was very important, because it's an important series," said Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell. "It's a lot harder to win the series when you don't win the first game. But I think it was a big statement game for us. We hadn't won in this park. We swung the bats real well." 

紅襪三壘手Mike Lowell說：「我認為這是很重要的，因為這是關鍵的系列戰。當你沒有贏第一場，則要贏整個系列戰是比較難的。但是我認為對我們而言，這是有很意義的比賽，因為我們在這個球場從來沒贏球過，這次我們真的打得很好。」

Which was made all the more impressive considering who it was against. 

考慮到另外一方，所有的一切一樣令人印象深刻。

"I think when you come into a game and you're facing him, you know you have your hands full," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona of Kazmir. "We did an exceptional job tonight, because he's, if not one of the best pitchers, certainly one of the best left-handers in the league." 

粉柯南提及Kazmir時說：「我認為當你進入比賽後，且面對到他（卡茲）的時候，你知道你將會應接不暇。今天我們做了超乎期待的事，因為，就算他不是全聯盟最棒的投手，他也是聯盟裡頭最棒的左投之一。」

If not for the typical gathering of Red Sox fans -- be it New England transplants or vacationing members of the Nation -- Tropicana Field would have been left silent. There was nothing for Rays fans to cheer about during any of this contest. 

要不是許多襪迷因為移民或度假而來這兒看球，則今晚純品康納球場將一直會很安靜，因為在這場比賽中，光芒迷幾乎沒有任何值得興奮的事。

Not long after the national anthem, David Ortiz unloaded for a three-run homer to right with nobody out in the top of the first. For Ortiz, it was just his second homer in the past 28 games. 

國歌唱完沒多久，無人出局情形下，David Ortiz打出右邊方向的三分全壘打。對David Ortiz而言，這是過去28場比賽的第二支全壘打。

"He's, obviously, a major piece to our offense," said Lowell. "With one swing, you can really open up a game and put momentum on our side." 

Lowell說：「顯然地，他是我們很重要的一員。有了這次揮擊，比賽開啟了，且火力持續。」

Kazmir got himself into that mess, walking Coco Crisp and Dustin Pedroia on eight straight pitches. Lowell added a solo homer later in the inning, allowing Daisuke Matsuzaka to make his first pitch with a 4-0 lead. 

Kazmir一團混亂，他用八顆直球保送了Coco Crisp及Dustin Pedroia。而Lowell在這局添一支陽春砲，讓松阪在投第一顆球之前，紅襪就已經是4-0的領先。

Riding the generous helping of support, Matsuzaka was only asked to go five innings (three hits, one run and seven strikeouts), but it was enough for the right-hander to improve to 17-2 on the season. 

因為有這麼大量的分數支援，粉柯南讓松阪投完五局就退場（被打三隻安打、失一分、七次三振），但是這已經足夠讓松阪今年成績提升至17勝2敗。

"I don't know if I led the team to victory," quipped Matsuzaka. "They definitely gave me the 'W' today. Last year in this ballpark, there were a few times I pitched well and didn't get the win. This year, I hadn't won here yet. This was an important win, and I'm very happy that we won." 

松阪開玩笑地說：「我不知道是不是我讓這球隊取得勝利，不過他們的確讓我拿到勝投。去年有好幾次我投得還可以，卻沒有拿到勝投，今年我還沒有在這裡（純品康納球場）拿到勝投過。這是很重要的一勝，我非常開心我們能贏球。」

The 17 wins for Matsuzaka broke Hideo Nomo's record for most in a season by a Japanese pitcher. 

松阪拿到第17勝，打破了日本投手野茂單季最多勝的紀錄。

"The numbers alone might show that I've surpassed Nomo-san, but I don't think that I've actually passed him as a pitcher," said Matsuzaka. "All I want to do is keep striving to surpass him one day." 

松阪說：「單由記錄來看，似乎超過野茂，但是身為投手，我不認為實質表現上我有超越他。我能做的就是繼續努力，希望有天我真的能超越他。」

A much shorter-term goal belongs to the Red Sox, in their quest to at last put the Rays in their rearview mirror. It hasn't been easy, but they've finally given themselves a chance. 

紅襪有了更短期的目標，最後他們終於追平光芒的勝差
這並不容易，但是他們最後給自己一個機會。

"It's very important," said Red Sox reliever Mike Timlin, who made career relief appearance No. 1,051, most by a righty reliever. "These guys have been playing well all year long. We haven't played well here at all. We came out and swung the bats well -- a lot of base hits, a lot of home runs. It was an amazing game offensively for us. It was just fun to sit back and watch our offense do what they do." 

達到生涯第1051次救援成功，也是右中繼中最多的中繼投手--Mike Timlin說：「一整年我們都打得很好，不過我們在這球場表現就一點也不好了。我們打了很多支安打，很多的全壘打。這是令人驚訝的比賽，坐下來好好看我們的反擊是很有趣的。」

The Red Sox delivered a resounding knockout punch in the fourth inning, scoring seven runs to take an 11-1 lead. It started with Jason Bay hitting a towering homer to center off of the C-ring catwalk. Two batters later, Jason Varitek smashed a two-run blast into the upper deck, helping him pass Carlton Fisk for first place on the club's all-time list for catchers with 158 homers. 

紅襪在第四局時猛擊光芒，一口氣得了七分，將比數拉開到11比1。開始是Jason Bay打出中間方向的大號全壘打，Jason Varitek也打出兩分全壘打，全壘打數來到158支，超越捕手Carlton Fisk。

Following a single by Jacoby Ellsbury and a double by Crisp, Kazmir was removed from the game. 

在Jacoby Ellsbury打出一壘安打後，緊接著Crisp打出二壘安打，於是Kazmir退場了。

"I was really expecting a lot more from Kaz tonight," said Rays manager Joe Maddon. "He had just pitched up there [in Boston] and done relatively well. Overall, recently, I thought his command was getting back to where it had been. So I was kind of surprised myself." 

光芒總教練說：「我今晚真的對Kaz期待很高。」
「因為他之前對上紅襪的表現都還不錯。整體來講，最近我想他的控球有點退步，我真的有點驚訝。」

Even after Kazmir's early departure, there were plenty of fireworks left against reliever Mitch Talbot, including a two-run homer to left by Kevin Youkilis. 

即使Kazmir早些局數就離開，但是面對中繼投手Mitch Talbot，紅襪仍然繼續砲擊，裡頭還包含一支由Kevin Youkilis打出的兩分全壘打。

Ellsbury became the sixth Boston player to go deep, producing a solo homer to right in the fifth. 

Ellsbury是第六位打出全壘打的紅襪球員，在第五局轟出一支右邊方向的陽春砲。

The only Red Sox starters not to clear the fence were Crisp, Pedroia and Jed Lowrie. 

紅襪球員裡頭只有Crisp, Pedroia and Jed Lowrie這三人沒有將球打出全壘打牆外。

"We did a great job early," said Francona. "We jumped on Kazmir. We hit some balls out of the ballpark. We gave ourselves a cushion. It allowed us to take Dice-K out after five." 

粉柯南說：「我們在早些局數就領先，我們痛擊Kazmir，我們好幾次將球打出全壘打牆外，我們打了很多分數，也因為如此，我們讓松阪在第五局後就退場。」

The AL East intrigue will continue on Tuesday night. 

美聯東區的各懷鬼胎，在星期二晚上將會繼續上演。

"I've got them ratcheting it up a little bit," Maddon said of the Red Sox. "They are turning up the dial. Like I said before, they've been there. And I know that they can smell it. They can smell it, we can smell it." 

Maddon提及紅襪時說：「我，就像我之前講的，他們一直都在那邊虎視眈眈。我也知道他們聞到了東區之冠的味道，不過，他們能聞到，我們就能聞到的。」

松阪本季其他場次先發紀錄

松坂第12次先發 1局失7分
松坂第13次先發 5局失0分
松坂第14次先發 5局失1分
松坂第15次先發 7.1局失0分
松坂第16次先發6局失0分
松坂第17次先發7.1局失2分
松坂第18次先發5局失6分
松坂第19次先發6局失2分
松坂第20次先發8局失1分
松坂第21次先發7局失0分
松坂第22次先發5局失2分
松坂第23次先發6局失5分
松坂第24次先發8局失0分
松坂第25次先發6局失3分
松坂第26次先發5局失3分