What? The Red Sox swept the Rays? Oh, yes. Yes they did.

[flvegan]

ST. PETERSBURG -- Adrian Beltre overpowered the Rays on Wednesday night, drilling four hits -- including two homers and a triple -- and leading the Red Sox to an 11-3 victory that completed a key three-game sweep at Tropicana Field.

Beltre also drove in six runs, tying a career high, and finished just a double shy of the cycle.

For the Red Sox, it was the culmination of a thoroughly-satisfying 5-1 road trip -- the club's best six-game journey since May 2007. This one was particularly impressive, considering the opponents were Philadelphia and Tampa Bay.

By stifling the American League East-leading Rays the past three nights, the Sox have slimmed their deficit in the American League East to 5 1/2 games.

They've regained their swagger, these Red Sox, backed by a season-high winning streak of five games and a 16-7 record since May 3, the best in the AL over that span.

Aside from Beltre's heroics, the Sox also got a two-run shot from the red-hot David Ortiz and a rebound effort by John Lackey. All in all, the Sox avenged the four-game sweep that Tampa Bay handed them at Fenway from April 16-18.

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100526&content_id=10471980&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=bos

[Captain Hilts]

1. Ain't it grand? nt

[flvegan]

2. It *almost* made up for seeing Ronaldo on the cover of Vanity Fair

in his underwear. Some things...shouldn't be seen in a place one buys food.

[Captain Hilts]

3. I thought it was a welcome change from seeing large breasted skinny women...

constantly. Ugh!

[flvegan]

4. Drogba was a welcome change I suppose, but not Ronaldo.

It did spark a good conversation in the line at the supermarket, though. The checkout clerk was a big fan from Portugal and was shocked to have a real football fan come through his line. I mentioned my love for Messi and we all went a bit nuts.

[rockymountaindem]

5. Awww yeah

Signs of life are nice to see. They've finally figured out how to get good offense, pitching and defense all in a single game. We're rocketing into 4th and we're only two games behind the Yanks!

[flvegan]

6. 3rd place!

And with a W/L % that would have us in 1st or 2nd in any other conference.