Quote: "I'll take ground balls over strikeouts anytime, even though fans won't get excited as much, but, in the long run, it's probably better for me and the team." -- Pedro Martinez of the Red Sox, who won his seventh straight but ended his string of double-digit strikeout games at seven. It's a fact: The Devil Rays' Ryan Rupe is the third player from the June 1998 draft to reach the majors, joining the Tigers' Jeff Weaver and the Cardinals' J. D. Drew.

Who's hot: Twins rookie Cristian Guzman has an AL-leading 12 infield hits.

Who's not: The Twins' Ron Coomer went 0-for-12 in the series, and his batting average fell 30 points, from .354 to .324.

On deck: The Devil Rays are believed to be leaning toward using the first pick in the coming draft on Josh Hamilton, a left-handed outfielder/pitcher from Raleigh, N.C.