AL: TAMPA BAY (33-50) at BOSTON (52-31) <h3>Beckett aims for All-Star start</h3> <div class="pre">Tampa Bay (33-50) at Boston (52-31) 7:05 pm EDT</div> BOSTON (Ticker) -- The competition for the starting nod on theAmerican League mound at this year's All-Star game is intense. Josh Beckett can stake his claim for the challenge when hestarts for the Boston Red Sox on Thursday as they go for a sweepof the visiting Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Detroit manager Jim Leyland will ultimately make the decision,and Cleveland's C.C. Sabathia, the Tigers' Justin Verlander,Oakland's Dan Haren and Minnesota's Johan Santana would all bedeserving of the honor. With a win, Beckett (11-2, 3.38 ERA) would match Sabathia forthe major league-lead with 12 wins this season - althoughSabathia pitches on Thursday as well. The Red Sox ace will befacing a team currently riding a 10-game losing streak. The Devil Rays skid is the club's longest since losing 10straight from June 28-July 8, 2005 and marks the sixth losingstreak of at least 10 games in team history. The team has alsofailed to reach double figures in hits in any of the 10 losses,recording nine Wednesday. Only four times in team history hasthe club gone longer without a 10-hit game. J.P. Hammel (1-2, 5.19) will be trying to get the win for TampaBay. The 24-year-old lefthander won his first start on June 3after being recalled from Class AAA Durham, but he has yet toget into the win column since. Hammel lasted just 4 1/3 innings last Saturday at Cleveland,allowing five runs and eight hits to absorb the loss.
AL: TAMPA BAY at BOSTON <div class="pre">TAMPA BAY AT BOSTON -- LINEUPS TAMPA BAY BOSTON AVG HR RBI AVG HR RBI Akinori Iwamura 3B .290 3 12 J.D. Drew RF .261 6 33 Carl Crawford LF .286 6 51 Dustin Pedroia 2B .320 3 25 Brendan Harris SS .305 8 34 David Ortiz DH .307 13 49 Carlos Pena 1B .285 19 49 Manny Ramirez LF .285 11 44 Ty Wigginton 2B .269 13 42 Mike Lowell 3B .296 13 57 Greg Norton DH .195 2 6 Jason Varitek C .272 8 35 Delmon Young CF .269 9 44 Coco Crisp CF .263 4 22 Jonny Gomes RF .246 6 17 Eric Hinske 1B .210 3 11 Dioner Navarro C .179 1 11 Julio Lugo SS .192 4 36 J.P. Howell LHP (1-2, 5.19) Josh Beckett RHP (11-2, 3.38)</div>
AL: TAMPA BAY at BOSTON <div class="pre">AL AT BOSTON WARMUPS: TAM - J.P. HOWELL (1-2, 5.19) BOS - JOSH BECKETT (11-2, 3.38) UMPIRES: HP - GERRY DAVIS 1B - BRIAN GORMAN 2B - PAUL NAUERT 3B - CHAD FAIRCHILD WEATHER: 82 Degrees, partly cloudy WIND: 16 mph, out to left</div>
AL: TAMPA BAY at BOSTON <div class="pre">AL AT BOSTON STARTING BATS: TAM - J.P. HOWELL AND DIONER NAVARRO BOS - JOSH BECKETT AND JASON VARITEK DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: A IWAMURA (.290, 3 HR, 12 RBI) C CRAWFORD (.286, 6 HR, 51 RBI) B HARRIS (.305, 8 HR, 34 RBI)</div>
AL: TAMPA BAY at BOSTON <div class="pre">AL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E - - - - - - - - - - - - TAMPA BAY 0 0 0 0 BOSTON 0 0 0 (BOT 1) CURRENT PITCHERS: TAM - J.P. HOWELL BOS - JOSH BECKETT DUE UP FOR BOSTON: J DREW (.261, 6 HR, 33 RBI) D PEDROIA (.320, 3 HR, 25 RBI) D ORTIZ (.307, 13 HR, 49 RBI)</div>
AL: TAMPA BAY at BOSTON <div class="pre">TAMPA BAY (0) VS BOSTON (0) - MID 1ST - IN PROGRESS TAMPA BAY ab r h rbi bb so lob avg A Iwamura 3b 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .288 C Crawford lf 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .285 B Harris ss 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .304 C Pena 1b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .285 T Wigginton 2b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .269 G Norton dh 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .195 D Young cf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .269 J Gomes rf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .246 D Navarro c 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .179 Totals 3 0 0 0 0 3 0 BATTING: Team LOB - 0. BOSTON ab r h rbi bb so lob avg J Drew rf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .261 D Pedroia 2b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .320 D Ortiz dh 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .307 M Ramirez lf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .285 M Lowell 3b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .296 J Varitek c 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .272 C Crisp cf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .263 E Hinske 1b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .210 J Lugo ss 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .192 Totals 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 BATTING: Team LOB - 0. ---------------------------------------------------- TAMPA BAY - 0 -- 0 BOSTON - -- 0 ---------------------------------------------------- TAMPA BAY ip h r er bb so hr era J Howell 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5.19 BOSTON ip h r er bb so hr era J Beckett 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 3.34 Pitches-strikes: J Beckett 14-10. Ground balls-fly balls: J Beckett 0-0. Batters faced: J Beckett 3. UMPIRES: HP--Gerry Davis. 1B--Brian Gorman. 2B--Paul Nauert. 3B--Chad Fairchild. Weather: 80 degrees, partly cloudy. Wind: 15 mph, out to left.</div>
AL: TAMPA BAY at BOSTON <div class="pre">AL AT BOSTON CONFIRMED STARTERS: TAM - J.P. HOWELL BOS - JOSH BECKETT</div>
AL: TAMPA BAY at BOSTON <div class="pre">AL AT BOSTON - SCORING UPDATE SINGLE BY MANNY RAMIREZ SCORED J.D. DREW. SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, M RAMIREZ ON FIRST, D ORTIZ ON SECOND, 1 OUT CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 0 BOSTON 1 BOTTOM, 1ST DUE UP FOR BOSTON: M LOWELL (.296, 13 HR, 57 RBI)</div>
AL: TAMPA BAY at BOSTON <div class="pre">AL AT BOSTON - SCORING UPDATE BASES LOADED WALK TO JASON VARITEK SCORED DAVID ORTIZ. SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, J VARITEK ON FIRST, M LOWELL ON SECOND, M RAMIREZ ON THIRD, 1 OUT CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 0 BOSTON 2 BOTTOM, 1ST DUE UP FOR BOSTON: C CRISP (.263, 4 HR, 22 RBI)</div>
AL: TAMPA BAY at BOSTON <div class="pre">AL AT BOSTON - SCORING UPDATE GRAND SLAM BY COCO CRISP (5) TO LEFT WITH 1 OUT IN THE 1ST OFF J.P. HOWELL SCORED MANNY RAMIREZ, MIKE LOWELL AND JASON VARITEK. CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 0, BOSTON 6 DUE UP FOR BOSTON: E HINSKE (.210, 3 HR, 11 RBI)</div>
AL: TAMPA BAY at BOSTON <div class="pre">AL AT BOSTON - PITCHING CHANGE TAM: BRIAN STOKES (2-6, 5.54) IN THE 1ST SITUATION: 6 RUNS IN, J DREW ON FIRST, J LUGO ON SECOND, 2 OUTS CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 0, BOSTON 6 DUE UP FOR BOSTON: D PEDROIA (.323, 3 HR, 25 RBI)</div>
AL: TAMPA BAY at BOSTON <div class="pre">AL AT BOSTON - MID INNING UPDATE PLAY: B Stokes relieved J Howell. SITUATION: 6 RUNS IN, J DREW ON FIRST, J LUGO ON SECOND, 2 OUTS CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 0 BOSTON 6 BOTTOM, 1ST DUE UP FOR BOSTON: D Pedroia (.323, 1-FOR-1)</div>
AL: TAMPA BAY at BOSTON <div class="pre">AL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E - - - - - - - - - - - - TAMPA BAY 0 0 0 0 BOSTON 6 6 6 0 (TOP 2) CURRENT PITCHERS: TAM - BRIAN STOKES BOS - JOSH BECKETT DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: C PENA (.285, 19 HR, 49 RBI) T WIGGINTON (.269, 13 HR, 42 RBI) G NORTON (.195, 2 HR, 6 RBI)</div>
AL: TAMPA BAY at BOSTON <div class="pre">TAMPA BAY (0) VS BOSTON (6) - END 1ST - IN PROGRESS TAMPA BAY ab r h rbi bb so lob avg A Iwamura 3b 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .288 C Crawford lf 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .285 B Harris ss 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .304 C Pena 1b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .285 T Wigginton 2b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .269 G Norton dh 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .195 D Young cf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .269 J Gomes rf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .246 D Navarro c 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .179 Totals 3 0 0 0 0 3 0 BATTING: Team LOB - 0. BOSTON ab r h rbi bb so lob avg J Drew rf 2 1 2 0 0 0 0 .267 D Pedroia 2b 2 0 1 0 0 0 2 .322 D Ortiz dh 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 .306 M Ramirez lf 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 .288 M Lowell 3b 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 .298 J Varitek c 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 .272 C Crisp cf 1 1 1 4 0 0 0 .266 E Hinske 1b 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .207 J Lugo ss 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .192 Totals 9 6 6 6 2 1 3 BATTING: HR - C Crisp (5, 1st inning off J Howell 3 on, 1 Out). RBI - M Ramirez (45), J Varitek (36), C Crisp 4 (26). Runners left in scoring position, 2 out - D Pedroia 1. Team LOB - 2. ---------------------------------------------------- TAMPA BAY - 0 -- 0 BOSTON - 6 -- 6 ---------------------------------------------------- TAMPA BAY ip h r er bb so hr era J Howell 2/3 6 6 6 2 1 1 6.62 B Stokes 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 5.50 BOSTON ip h r er bb so hr era J Beckett 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 3.34 Pitches-strikes: J Howell 43-22; B Stokes 1-1; J Beckett 14-10. Ground balls-fly balls: J Howell 1-0; B Stokes 0-1; J Beckett 0-0. Batters faced: J Howell 10; B Stokes 1; J Beckett 3. UMPIRES: HP--Gerry Davis. 1B--Brian Gorman. 2B--Paul Nauert. 3B--Chad Fairchild. Weather: 80 degrees, partly cloudy. Wind: 15 mph, out to left.</div>
AL: TAMPA BAY at BOSTON <div class="pre">AL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E - - - - - - - - - - - - TAMPA BAY 0 0 0 1 0 BOSTON 6 6 6 0 (BOT 2) CURRENT PITCHERS: TAM - BRIAN STOKES BOS - JOSH BECKETT DUE UP FOR BOSTON: D ORTIZ (.306, 0-FOR-1) M RAMIREZ (.288, 1-FOR-1, RBI) M LOWELL (.298, 1-FOR-1)</div>
AL: TAMPA BAY at BOSTON <div class="pre">TAMPA BAY (0) VS BOSTON (6) - MID 2ND - IN PROGRESS TAMPA BAY ab r h rbi bb so lob avg A Iwamura 3b 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .288 C Crawford lf 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .285 B Harris ss 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .304 C Pena 1b 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .284 T Wigginton 2b 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .271 G Norton dh 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 .192 D Young cf 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .268 J Gomes rf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .246 D Navarro c 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .179 Totals 7 0 1 0 0 5 2 BATTING: Team LOB - 1. BOSTON ab r h rbi bb so lob avg J Drew rf 2 1 2 0 0 0 0 .267 D Pedroia 2b 2 0 1 0 0 0 2 .322 D Ortiz dh 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 .306 M Ramirez lf 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 .288 M Lowell 3b 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 .298 J Varitek c 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 .272 C Crisp cf 1 1 1 4 0 0 0 .266 E Hinske 1b 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .207 J Lugo ss 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .192 Totals 9 6 6 6 2 1 3 BATTING: HR - C Crisp (5, 1st inning off J Howell 3 on, 1 Out). RBI - M Ramirez (45), J Varitek (36), C Crisp 4 (26). Runners left in scoring position, 2 out - D Pedroia 1. Team LOB - 2. ---------------------------------------------------- TAMPA BAY - 00 -- 0 BOSTON - 6 -- 6 ---------------------------------------------------- TAMPA BAY ip h r er bb so hr era J Howell 2/3 6 6 6 2 1 1 6.62 B Stokes 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 5.50 BOSTON ip h r er bb so hr era J Beckett 2 1 0 0 0 5 0 3.31 Pitches-strikes: J Howell 43-22; B Stokes 1-1; J Beckett 32-22. Ground balls-fly balls: J Howell 1-0; B Stokes 0-1; J Beckett 1-0. Batters faced: J Howell 10; B Stokes 1; J Beckett 7. UMPIRES: HP--Gerry Davis. 1B--Brian Gorman. 2B--Paul Nauert. 3B--Chad Fairchild. Weather: 80 degrees, partly cloudy. Wind: 15 mph, out to left.</div>
AL: TAMPA BAY at BOSTON <div class="pre">AL AT BOSTON - SCORING UPDATE THREE-RUN HOME RUN BY MIKE LOWELL (14) TO LEFT WITH 0 OUT IN THE 2ND OFF BRIAN STOKES SCORED DAVID ORTIZ AND MANNY RAMIREZ. CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 0, BOSTON 9 DUE UP FOR BOSTON: J VARITEK (.272, 0-FOR-0, BB, RBI)</div>
AL: TAMPA BAY at BOSTON <div class="pre">AL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E - - - - - - - - - - - - TAMPA BAY 0 0 0 1 0 BOSTON 6 3 9 9 0 (TOP 3) CURRENT PITCHERS: TAM - BRIAN STOKES BOS - JOSH BECKETT DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: J GOMES (.246, 6 HR, 17 RBI) D NAVARRO (.179, 1 HR, 11 RBI) A IWAMURA (.288, 0-FOR-1)</div>
AL: TAMPA BAY at BOSTON <div class="pre">TAMPA BAY (0) VS BOSTON (9) - END 2ND - IN PROGRESS TAMPA BAY ab r h rbi bb so lob avg A Iwamura 3b 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .288 C Crawford lf 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .285 B Harris ss 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .304 C Pena 1b 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .284 T Wigginton 2b 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .271 G Norton dh 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 .192 D Young cf 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .268 J Gomes rf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .246 D Navarro c 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .179 Totals 7 0 1 0 0 5 2 BATTING: Team LOB - 1. BOSTON ab r h rbi bb so lob avg J Drew rf 3 1 2 0 0 0 2 .266 D Pedroia 2b 2 0 1 0 0 0 2 .322 D Ortiz dh 2 2 1 0 0 0 1 .309 M Ramirez lf 1 2 1 1 1 0 0 .288 M Lowell 3b 2 2 2 3 0 0 0 .301 J Varitek c 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 .275 C Crisp cf 2 1 1 4 0 0 1 .265 E Hinske 1b 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 .207 J Lugo ss 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 .191 Totals 15 9 9 9 4 1 8 BATTING: 2B - D Ortiz (28, B Stokes). HR - C Crisp (5, 1st inning off J Howell 3 on, 1 Out), M Lowell (14, 2nd inning off B Stokes 2 on, 0 Out). RBI - M Ramirez (45), J Varitek (36), C Crisp 4 (26), M Lowell 3 (60). Runners left in scoring position, 2 out - J Drew 1, D Pedroia 1. Team LOB - 4. ---------------------------------------------------- TAMPA BAY - 00 -- 0 BOSTON - 63 -- 9 ---------------------------------------------------- TAMPA BAY ip h r er bb so hr era J Howell 2/3 6 6 6 2 1 1 6.62 B Stokes 1 1/3 3 3 3 2 0 1 6.05 BOSTON ip h r er bb so hr era J Beckett 2 1 0 0 0 5 0 3.31 Pitches-strikes: J Howell 43-22; B Stokes 31-18; J Beckett 32-22. Ground balls-fly balls: J Howell 1-0; B Stokes 1-3; J Beckett 1-0. Batters faced: J Howell 10; B Stokes 9; J Beckett 7. UMPIRES: HP--Gerry Davis. 1B--Brian Gorman. 2B--Paul Nauert. 3B--Chad Fairchild. Weather: 80 degrees, partly cloudy. Wind: 15 mph, out to left.</div>
AL: TAMPA BAY at BOSTON <div class="pre">AL AT BOSTON - SCORING UPDATE DOUBLE BY BRENDAN HARRIS SCORED JONNY GOMES AND AKINORI IWAMURA. SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, B HARRIS ON SECOND, 2 OUT CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 2 BOSTON 9 TOP, 3RD DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: C PENA (.284, 0-FOR-1)</div>
