* – Last night in Tampa, the Red Sox knocked out Matt Garza after just three innings. It was the 7th time this season that the opposing starter has lasted three innings or less, and the Red Sox are now just 5-2 in those games. Over the last two seasons, the Sox went 30-1 in those games (15-0 in 2008 and 15-1 in 2009). Still, the Red Sox own the AL’s best winning percentage when the opposing starter lasts 3 or fewer innings since 2008:

.921 – Boston Red Sox (35-3)
.917 – New York Yankees (22-2)
.864 – Toronto Blue Jays (19-3)

In those games since 2008, the Red Sox are now 13-2 on the road and 22-1 at Fenway Park. Tampa Bay won such a game (where their starter lasted 9 outs or fewer) for the 3rd time in such a game since 2008 (3-13). For some perspective, the Red Sox are 3-14 and the Yankees are 4-24 during that span.

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* – Matt Garza threw 49 pitches in the 3rd inning last night as the Red Sox knocked him around for five, two-out, runs. That was the 2nd most pitches thrown by a pitcher in an inning of any game that his team eventually won since the start of the 2008 season. Jake Peavy, then of the Padres, had a 53-pitch fifth inning in 2008 that San Diego eventually won.

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* – Daisuke Matsuzaka needed 30 pitches to get through the first inning last night in Tampa. It was the 8th time this season that a Red Sox starter has thrown 30+ pitches in the opening frame and the Sox are now 3-5 in those games. Four of those have come courtesy of Dice-K (Boston won 2 and lost 2), three by Clay Buchholz (1-2), and the other by Jon Lester (0-1).

The Sox had nine 30+ pitch first innings last season (going 4-5) and only six in 2008 (3-3).

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* – I probably don’t have to tell you this, but among pitchers that have appeared in 300+ innings since the start of 2008, Dice-K has required 25+ pitches in the highest percentage of them:

15.4% – Daisuke Matsuzaka
15.2% – Ian Snell
14.6% – Scott Kazmir
13.6% – Gil Meche

Other Red Sox’ percentages in that span: Clay Buchholz (11.4%), Josh Beckett (9.0%), John Lackey (8.5%), Jon Lester (7.7%), Tim Wakefield (6.2%).

The pitcher with the LOWEST percentage? Roy Halladay (4.5%)