Crisp could be 2nd 30-steal man; Team is seventh in league with 89.

Byline: Bill Ballou

COLUMN: RED SOX NOTES

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Coco Crisp needs to steal three more bases for the Red Sox to do something they have not done in 97 years - have two players steal 30 bases in the same season.

In 1910, with Boston still playing its home games at the Huntington Ave. grounds where Northeastern University is today, center fielder Tris Speaker and right fielder Harry Hooper - both Hall of Fame players - stole 40 and 35 bases, respectively. The Sox swiped 194 as a team, fourth highest in the league, and finished fourth in the standings.

Julio Lugo's 30 steals lead Boston this year, and Boston's team total of 89 is seventh in the league. It is the most for Boston since 1996, when it had 91. What makes this season's total stand out is how infrequently Sox runners have been thrown out stealing. They are 89 for 111, an 80.2 percent success rate, best in the league and the team's best ever since such records have been kept.

Gedman catches game at Trop

Rich Gedman was at the game, wearing his ex-Red Sox hat as opposed to his Worcester Tornadoes one.

Gedman, Bernie Carbo and George Scott were all at Tropicana Field to sign autographs in conjunction with the Ted Williams Hitters Museum, which is housed here. All three former Sox had a World Series connection - Scott in 1967, Carbo in 1975 and Gedman in 1986.

It was Gedman's first visit to Tropicana Field as a baseball stadium, he said. Gedman's previous trips here had been to see basketball games and hockey games.

Sox heavy on strikeouts

Sox batters went into last night in the midst of a Fanfest.

As in, striking out.

As a team, Boston had struck out 95 times in the previous 10 games, an average of 9-1/2 a game. Before hitting this streak, the Sox had fanned an average of six times a game.

Leading the way is Jason Varitek, who had whiffed in 11 straight, totaling 20 strikeouts. David Ortiz had struck out nine times in the four previous games; J.D. Drew had struck out in six straight, totaling eight times; Mike Lowell had fanned 11 times in 8 games, Eric Hinske nine in seven and Jacoby Ellsbury seven in seven.

The game here on Friday night, in which the Sox fanned 17 times and Devil Rays batters 13, marked the first time two American League teams had combined for 30 whiffs since July 13, 1997, when the Mariners and Rangers combined to strike out 31 times.

On May 6, 1998, the Cubs and Astros combined for 30 whiffs in the National League.

Wakefield gets the start

Tim Wakefield gets another chance today to make a pitch for being in the postseason rotation, and this is the perfect place for that. Wakefield is 19-2 lifetime vs. the Devil Rays including 9-0 with 3 saves at Tropicana Field.

He is 4-0 against Tampa Bay this year. Wakefield will be opposed by Edwin Jackson, whose 4-15 record is appalling, but who is 1-1 vs. the Sox in 2007. Jackson is 0-3, 9.15 in his last four starts overall.

Wakefield is 16-11 for the season, but since returning from missing a start due to a sore back, is 0-1 with a 12.08 ERA in three appearances.

Delcarmen inspires confidence

Manny Delcarmen, Boston's best reliever in recent weeks, is more confident than ever and that's showing up in his performance, Terry Francona said.

"(Friday night) was as good as we've seen him throw," the manager added. "He's not backing off, and got some of the best stuff in the league."

Delcarmen has not allowed a run in his last seven appearances and has stranded all five runners he has inherited in those games.

Diamond Dust

The status of the Red Sox injured list is essentially quo. Neither Manny Ramirez nor Kevin Youkilis are on the verge of returning. Ramirez still feels discomfort in his left oblique when he runs. Youkilis' right wrist is still sore when he swings. Doug Mirabelli, though, is supposed to catch Wakefield this afternoon. ... Jon Lester will start Wednesday's game at Fenway, Francona said. ... Lowell went into the night two RBIs away from tying the single-season record for a Boston third baseman. He had 110. Butch Hobson had 112 in 1977. ... The Red Sox started the game with six left-handed bats in the lineup, including switch hitters Coco Crisp and Varitek. Dustin Pedroia, Lowell and Julio Lugo were the righties. ... Julian Tavarez was spotted in the Boston clubhouse before the game and is still on the roster. After being one of Boston's busiest pitchers in the season's first five months, Tavarez has pitched only twice in September, both times in relief, for a total of 4-1/3 innings. ... The Devil Rays had a horde of boy scouts at the game. Many of them stayed to camp out overnight on the Tropicana Field artificial turf.

NAME: BOSTON RED SOX 

ART: PHOTO

CUTLINE: Tampa Bay center fielder B.J. Upton leaps, but can't catch a double by Boston's David Ortiz in the first inning.

PHOTOG: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS