The Red Sox lost the game 3-2 when Niuman Romero grounded out to second base. But the real blow came in the top of the fourth inning, when Kevin Youkilis left the game with "right ankle pain".
After limping in from the field in the third inning, Youkilis came out to bat and kicked at the dirt at home a few times before walking out favoring his right leg, eventually going to the ground. Initially, it looked like he might have a cramp, as the trainer attempted to stretch out his leg, but Youk would leave the game without taking his at bat.
As for the game itself, it was a case of a Triple-A lineup starting to actually perform like a Triple-A lineup. Marco Scutaro, David Ortiz, Daniel Nava, and Eric Patterson had all six of the Red Sox hits on the night, scoring only two runs, one thanks to an Evan Longoria throwing error. Three times the Sox had David Ortiz at the plate with runners in scoring position, including in the ninth inning, only to have Joe Maddon intentionally walk him with Niuman Romero batting for Youkilis, three times Niuman Romero could not produce.
Felix Doubront was good in his spot start for Clay Buchholz through the first five innings. He allowed a run in the third, and then again in the fifth. Doubront noticeably started to tire in the sixth, though, and began overthrowing, leading to three walks in the inning. A heads-up play by catcher Kevin Cash to pick off Evan Longoria at third base helped keep runs of the board, though, as Scott Atchison got the final out of the inning.
The Rays scored an insurance run off Hideki Okajima, who looked just as bad in his return as when he left, and it turned out to be an important one, as the Sox scored what would have been the tying run in the ninth on an Eric Patterson triple, putting their third just 90 feet away. Romero grounded out, though, making a bad night for the Red Sox even worse.