Boston Red Sox
Rays 7, Red Sox 6 -- For first time since 2000, neither Sox nor Yanks will be in first place during one of their showdowns
07:15 AM EDT on Thursday, July 3, 2008
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The holiday weekend will feature a four-game showdown between the Red Sox and Yankees, with two games slated for national telecasts.
But something is missing from this set. For the first time since the 2000 season, neither the Red Sox nor the Yankees will be in first place in the first week of July. And to find a year in which the teams met this late in the season and neither held down first, you have to go all the way back to 1997.
David Ortiz, who is still sidelined with a wrist injury, figures neither team will be down for long.
"There's a lot of games left," said Ortiz. "One way or another, [the Yankees] know how to figure it out. And we know how to figure it out."
"I’ve given that no thought," said manager Terry Francona of the fact that neither the Sox nor the Yanks are in the lead. "It doesn’t matter; it would if it was Oct. 1. We're going to get the best (from) them and they're going to get the best (from) us. We know that."
|
More top stories
Red Sox 8, Mariners 4: It's Seattle's turn for a bullpen implosion
Six Red Sox players -- including Wakefield -- headed to St. Louis for All-Star Game
Most Viewed Yesterday
A gangster’s tale: New Dillinger film is close to the truth, Brown prof. says
Providence to host Fourth fireworks
Tough times prompt 3 communities to cancel July 4 fireworks shows
Most active surveys
Why do you think Sarah Palin is prematurely stepping down as Alaska's governor?
Does Tim Wakefield deserve to be an All Star?
Is Jonathan Papelbon capable of eventually reaching 500 saves, as Mariano Rivera did?
Most e-mailed in the last 24 hours
Reader Reaction










You must be logged in to contribute. Log in | Register Now!
You are logged in as screenname | Log Out
You are logged in, but do not have a "screen" name. Create a Screen Name