In a game with Darnell McDonald, Kelly Shoppach, and Franklin Morales earning top billing for the Red Sox, avoiding a blowout was about all the team could hope for. Left high-and-dry by the stars playing minor league competition back in Fort Myers, however, the replacements came through with seven runs to bail out a poor performance by the likes of Ross Ohlendorf, Michael Bowden, and Tony Pena Jr. to earn a tie.

Ohlendorf would put the Sox in an early 5-1 hole, getting hit particularly hard in the fourth when he allowed three runs to score on three straight doubles. The Sox would retaliate in kind in the very next half-inning, however, bringing home three runs of their own on three singles and an error.

Evan Longoria would extend Tampa's lead to 6-4 in the bottom half of the sixth, as Michael Bowden failed to stop the bleeding after replacing Ross Ohlendorf, but once again the Sox were up to the task. Dealing further damage to Wade Davis--who had come in from the bullpen in the middle innings, rather than starting the game--the Sox managed to push two more runs across to finally equalize the game at 6-6.

The Sox would even end up taking the last lead of the game in the seventh, with Sean Coyle driving in Kelly Shoppach to make it 7-6. But with Tony Pena Jr. unable to replicate Franklin Morales' scoreless inning, a Luke Scott homer proved enough to secure the tie for the Rays.