Rays Sweep Sox

Carl Crawford turned in a nifty game to support pitcher Tim Corcoran as the Rays swept the Boston Red Sox in a three-game series in St. Petersburg, Florida. 5-2 was the final.
Two highlights of note:
Kevin Youkilis hit a shot off the roof over left field in fair territory which was caught in the field of play by left-fielder Carl Crawford. Youkilis was astounded that he was called out, but the ground rules are specific at Tropicana Field: if the ball hits the roof in fair territory (apart from certain structural rings which are deemed home runs) it is a fair ball and an out may be recorded if the ball is caught in the field of play. On top of that Crawford appeared to be tracking the ball routinely before having to react to the carom to record the putout. Youkilis remained very emotional for minutes afterward, shoving the dugout furnishings violently at one point. The Rays' color commentator was hilarious, talking about how Youkilis appeared to be getting his emotions under control.
Carl Crawford had a great game, underlining the fact that he'd have made a worthy All-Star this year. He picked up a few hits and stole three bases, including a steal of home with two outs that gave the Rays their fifth run of the night.
I had never witnessed a steal of home in a live baseball game (partly a product of following the Braves for years). Crawford made it look so easy that one might wonder why it doesn't happen more often. Former Ray Jason Johnson helped out with his snail's-pace delivery from the mound.

Speaking of Boston pitcher Johnson, I note that he now pitches with an insulin pump attached to his belt to control his diabetes. I wonder if that will affect his longevity as a pitcher, since the repetitive motion places such a strain on the rotator cuff. Johnson's circulation will become impaired as a result of the disease, which (I would expect) might slow down his recovery from the routine inflammation that results from pitching. No doubt the team trainers have him using ice very religiously.
Best of luck to Jason Johnson.

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