ST. PETERSBURG -- When the calendar turned to August, normally reliable Red Sox reliever Junichi Tazawa saw his production take a turn for the worse. September, for the most part, has offered little in the way of relief. Pun intended.
The veteran setup man, who played a key role in the Red Sox's 2013 World Series championship, struggled mightily in the eighth inning of Friday night's 8-4 loss to the Rays after inheriting a 4-3 lead from starter Wade Miley, allowing four earned runs on four hits -- including a towering, two-run homer to center by Asdrubal Cabrera that proved to be the game-winning blow -- while recording just one out.