by Gabe SouzaFORT MYERS, Fla. – Adrian Beltre scooped up the ball in the hot corner and rifled it over to former Gold Glove winner Kevin Youkilis at first base.
It was a routine play for any baseball players and one that those two have practiced together hundreds of times already this spring. Yet, Youkilis made an error. The first baseman muffed the catch and watched as the ball squirted into foul territory, allowing a Rays runner to score and another to reach base.
What should have been an easy out in the first inning turned into a tone-setter.
The Sox went on to make two errors in the ballgame and bobble a few others, ultimately losing to the Tampa Bay Rays 8-6 this afternoon.
Things looked okay immediately after the Youkilis error. Lester pitched his way out of a jam and The “Greek God of Walks” helped his team carve an early lead by scoring on an RBI-single by Beltre. The third baseman later scored himself on a groundout by utility infielder Bill Hall and the Sox had a 2-1 lead going into the third inning.
It got even better for the Sox when in the bottom of the third, left fielder Jacoby Ellsbury ripped into a inside fastball and put it over the right field fence, giving Boston an even bigger 4-1 lead.
But then things began to unravel.
Just a half an inning after Ellsbury’s blast, reliever Adam Mills quickly loaded the bases with no outs. And his defense didn’t help him any.
On yet another routine groundball, new shortstop Marco Scutaro lost his handle of the ball, allowing a Rays runner to score and failing to record an out.
It was detrimental for Mills who fell apart at the seams after the error, giving up hard line drive doubles to Reid Brignac and B.J. Upton. When the inning was over, Jason Bartlett had added a two-run triple and the Rays had scored six runs in the top of the fourth, gaining a sizeable 7-4 lead.
In the bottom half of the inning, Ellsbury – known for his contact and speed, not for his power – connected with another fastball, jacking this one further than the first for a two-run home run, cinching the gap to one.
But after the minor leaguers made their way into the game, it was too little too late for the Sox who fell to 5-3 in spring play with the loss.
Joe Bateman was the winning pitcher for the Rays and Mills was the losing pitcher.
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