Here’s some stuff you will hopefully find interesting from a disappointing sweep in Tampa:

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* – Going into last night, the Red Sox were 155-1 since 2004 when they outhit their opponent by 6+ hits in a game. Their only other loss also came this season, and it also came at the hands of the Rays, in a 6-5 loss at Fenway in which the Sox outhit them, 11-5 (same as last night). The Chicago White Sox (113-0) as the only team that has not lost such a game since at least 2004.

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* – The Rays improved their record to 6-140 when they have been outhit by 6+ since ’04. That’s tied with Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles for the most such wins by an AL team in that span.

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* – Last night in the 9th inning, Darnell McDonald doubled on the 11th pitch of his at bat versus Matt Garza. It gave the Red Sox extra-base hits in each of their last two plate appearances of 10+ pitches:

Wednesday: Darnell McDonald doubles on the 11th pitch off Matt Garza in the 9th inning at Tampa Bay;
Monday: Eric Patterson homers on the 10th pitch off Matt Garza in the 3rd inning at Tampa Bay;

The Red Sox are now 3-6 on 10+ pitch AB on the road this year with 2 doubles and a HR and since the start of 2008 are 8-24 (.333) with a major league leading 1.292 OPS in such PA. Before this week, opponents were 1-16 (a single) versus Matt Garza when an at bat lasted 10+ pitches. Now he joins Rich Harden and Justin Verlander as the only two pitchers that have allowed 2 extra base hits in such AB this season.

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* – Mike Cameron’s 3-3 night Wednesday was his sixth perfect night of 3 hits or more on the road in his career but his first since way back in 2003. It’s interesting to note that his team has now lost three of the last four such games. But that’s nothing. Miguel Tejada has gone 3-3 or 4-4 (or 5-5) on the road and lost the game 8 times since 2000, the most in the majors in that span.

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* – Darnell McDonald also had three hits on Wednesday, going 3-5. It was just the 2nd such game of his career with the other coming back in 2004. His teams lost both games.

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* – Boston lost on the road despite two or more hitters with 3+ hits for the first time since June 30, 2009, when Youkilis, Ellsbury, and Jeff Bailey each had 3 hits in an 11-10 loss at Baltimore.

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* – Over the 15 day span that ended on Monday, the Red Sox bullpen put up an ERA of 8.81. Here are the worst 15 day stretches for the Boston relievers in each season since 2005:

2010 – 8.81 – ended July 5 (31.2 IP ; 31 ER)
2009 – 6.95 – ended July 15 (33.2 IP ; 26 ER)
2008 – 6.54 – ended April 17 (42.2 IP ; 31 ER)
2007 – 6.15 – ended August 12 (33.2 IP ; 23 ER)
2006 – 7.74 – ended August 20 (45.1 IP ; 39 ER)
2005 – 10.45 – ended July 12 (20.1 IP ; 24 ER)

And here are the BEST 15 day bullpen stretches each season:

2010 – 2.27 – ended June 1 (35.2 IP ; 9 ER)
2009 – 0.00 – ended July 27 (24 IP ; 0 ER)
2008 – 1.45 – ended August 6 (43.1 IP ; 7 ER)
2007 – 1.27 – ended July 12 (35.1 IP ; 5 ER)
2006 – 1.35 – ended May 20 (26.1 IP ; 4 ER)
2005 – 1.98 – ended April 25 (36.1 IP ; 8 ER)

Note that the Sox’ worst stretch this season has been worse than any other season except 2005. Of course, there’s still half of 2010 to go. It reminds me of the classic scene in the movie “City Slickers”:

Mitch: “Hi, Curly. Kill anyone today?”
Curly: “Day ain’t over yet.”

I guess the same caveat applies when you note that the best stretch by the 2010 edition has been worse than any other season since 2005.

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* – The HR surrendered by Hideki Okajima Tuesday night snapped a streak of two (2) straight games in which the pen had not allowed a homer. The longest streak this season in which the pen has not allowed a home run is 7 games, from June 10 through June 17. Here are the longest bullpen streaks without giving up a homer since the start of 2008:

25 – Detroit Tigers (4/16/10 through 5/13/10 ; 336 plate appearances)
23 – Boston Red Sox (6/29/08 through 7/29/08 ; 256 plate appearances)
23 – Toronto Blue Jays (7/22/08 through 8/14/08 ; 272 plate appearances)
22 – Three teams tied

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* – So far in 2010, Seattle’s Ichiro Suzuki has fouled off 297 pitches, the most in the majors. Dustin Pedroia is still ranked 2nd with 294. Unfortunately, the 294th one was pretty damaging to the Sox hopes. Here are the 2010 leaders in foul balls per plate appearance (min. 200 PA):

0.86 – Dustin Pedroia, BOS
0.83 – Jeff Francoeur, NYM
0.83 – Carlos Guillen, DET

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* – Go figure: Marco Scutaro went 0-5 from the top spot in the batting order last night. It was the 4th time this season that the Sox leadoff man has taken a collar with 5+ AB on the road… and they are now 3-1 in those games. They have actually won 14 of their last 25 road games when their leadoff hitter was 0-5 or worse, dating back to 2006.