"The Red Sox' butts were dragging.

No way around it.

Nobody felt like walking in the severe heat and humidity here, let alone play in it.

After 16 innings of grueling, exhausting baseball the night before at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., and an arrival here at 6 yesterday morning, show time came fast.

And the player who always seems ready to take responsibility is Dustin Pedroia."