Recap: Tampa Bay vs. Boston

By Sports Network

St. Petersburg, FL (Sports Network) - Daisuke Matsuzaka took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, and the Boston Red Sox topped the gritty Tampa Bay Rays, 2-0, in the opener of the American League Championship Series.

Kevin Youkilis doubled in a run and Jed Lowrie added a sacrifice fly for the defending World Series champions, who had lost eight of nine games at Tropicana Field during the regular season.

Matsuzaka (1-0), who was unbeaten in nine road decisions during the regular season, allowed four hits, walked four and had nine strikeouts over his seven- plus innings. Jonathan Papelbon retired the side in order in the ninth to notch the save for the Red Sox, who are in the ALCS for the fourth time in the last six years.

James Shields (1-1) surrendered six hits and the two runs over 7 1/3 frames. He also walked two and fanned six in the first-ever ALCS game for the Rays.

The best-of-seven series resumes Saturday night with Josh Beckett slated to start for the Red Sox, while Scott Kazmir takes the mound for Tampa Bay.

The bad blood between the AL East rivals nearly boiled over in the eighth inning as J.D. Drew was sent on the ground after being hit in the right shoulder on the first pitch thrown by Tampa Bay reliever Grant Balfour. That loaded the bases with one out, but Jason Bay fanned and Mark Kotsay popped out to third to end the inning and there were no more incidents, unlike the June game when the two teams engaged in a benches-clearing brawl at Fenway Park.

Carl Crawford's sharp single to right field broke up the no-hitter to start the bottom of the seventh, and Cliff Floyd followed with a single to left- center field. Dice-K, though, got Dioner Navarro to fly out to short left field, struck out Gabe Gross and then got Jason Bartlett on a force play grounder to finish the inning.

Tampa Bay put runners on first and second with no outs in the next inning thanks to singles from Akinori Iwamura and B.J. Upton. Hideki Okajima then replaced Matsuzaka and retired Carlos Pena on a fly ball to right, when Drew made a knee-high charging grab. Justin Masterson then induced Evan Longoria to ground into a double play.

Crawford struck out to start the Tampa Bay ninth and Floyd fouled out to third. Navarro then struck out swinging on a ball in the dirt.

Boston wasted a chance with two men on base in the first and Matsuzaka loaded the bases on walks in the bottom of the inning, but Floyd grounded out to end the frame.

Bay walked to begin the fifth, and Kotsay doubled to left field before Lowrie, who had the series-winning hit against the Angels on Monday, lifted a sacrifice fly to right field.

The Red Sox failed to pad their lead in the seventh despite two men on base with nobody out after singles from Drew and Bay, but they expanded the margin the next inning. Dustin Pedroia singled with one out, and then stole second. J.P. Howell walked David Ortiz, and Youkilis followed with a hit to shallow left field. Crawford made a diving attempt, but the ball bounced off the tip of his glove.