Major League Baseball

Garza near perfect as Rays rout Red Sox

Published May. 1, 2009 5:06 a.m. ET

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From the very start, the Tampa Bay Rays sensed it was going to be Matt Garza's night.

"It may sound strange, but I really do look forward to his first pitch of the game," manager Joe Maddon said Thursday night, after the American League Championship Series MVP took a perfect game into the seventh inning of a 13-0 victory over Boston.

"It said 89 (mph) on the board, but it wasn't," Maddon added. "It was better than that."




Garza, facing the Red Sox at Tropicana Field for the first time since beating them in Game 7 of last season's ALCS, allowed his first baserunner on Jacoby Ellsbury's infield single leading off the seventh inning.

Ellsbury fouled off an 0-2 pitch and took two balls before hitting a squibber past Garza over the mound. The speedy Boston center fielder, who stole home against the Yankees on Sunday, easily beat shortstop Jason Bartlett's throw to first base.

"When it was first hit, it sounded like it was coming off hard," Garza said. "Then I saw it float by. I dove and watched the ball just miss my glove by inches. I'm like: 'Oh, Barty! He almost made a great play."

The crowd of 20,341 gave the pitcher a standing ovation, and the right-hander got back on track by getting Dustin Pedroia to ground into a double play. David Ortiz walked with two outs, but was stranded when Jeff Bailey grounded out.

Garza struck out Jonathan Van Every and Jason Bay to begin the eighth. He received another round of cheers when Maddon replaced him with Grant Balfour, who finished the one-hitter.

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