"What is the one thing the Red Sox have managed not to lose this season? Momentum.

How can you lose what you never had?

After a 16-5 shellacking by the Tampa Bay Rays last night at Fenway Park, the 2-8 Red Sox find themselves again looking to match their season-high winning streak of one game tonight.

The Sox did not exactly enter the series opener with their chests puffed out after winning 2-of-3 against the New York Yankees over the weekend, but there was a little wind in their sails, especially after the eight-inning gem Josh Beckett threw Sunday night.

It took Daisuke Matsuzaka very little time to send the Red Sox back to the AL East cellar last night when he coughed up a six-run second inning, following a one-run first. The Sox trailed 7-0 and relief efforts by Tim Wakefield and Alfredo Aceves only slowed the bleeding. When it was all over, the Rays had joined the Red Sox in the two-win club.

"I mean, how many times do you hear people say 'momentum goes as far as your next day's starter,' and it's true," manager Terry Francona said. "We felt great about it .?.?. Beckett pitched as good a game as you're going to see (Sunday night) and we're in the second inning (last night) and we're swimming upstream. That's a hard way to put anything together. The good news is (Jon) Lester's (pitching tonight)."

Lester opposing Rays ace David Price virtually guarantees a better pitching duel than the lopsided one on display last night. Rays rookie Jeremy Hellickson held the Red Sox to just two runs, even though he walked five and allowed five hits in 51/3 innings."