Josh Hamilton has been promoted to the status of Jim Rice and Barry Bonds. The Rays, up 7-3 in the ninth, loaded the bases with two out. According to the STATS play by play, they intentionally walked Hamilton to prevent him from hitting a grand slam. It pays off, and Byrd strikes out to end the inning and the Rays win 7-4. As if Marlon Byrd was incapable of hitting a grand slam to win the game.

Grant Balfour causes most of the trouble for Tampa Bay living up to his name by walking three of the four batters he faced. Dan Wheeler comes on to get the final out. The Rays lead in the AL East goes to 4 1/2 games over the Red Sox.

Update: According to the comments at ESPN, Jim Rice was not walked intentionally with the bases loaded.

Update: I just looked through the Day by Day Database at Rice's games against the Brewers. The only one he drew an intentional walk and had an RBI was on 7/27/1977, and it was not with the bases loaded.

Update: In looking at that game again, Rice did walk with the bases loaded, however, it's not listed as the intentional walk. My guess is that either:

• Some one, in compling the play by play, thought the events were confused and assigned the IBB to the more likely scenario.
• A sports writer at the time confused the two events and reported that Rice was intentionally walked.

I don't know how Retrosheet put together the play by play for that game. It's possible they had a fan score sheet that didn't distinguish which was the intentional walk, so they assigned it to the fifth inning when first base was open. I remember hearing the story told by the Milwaukee manager of why he walked Rice with the bases loaded. Of course, I've misremembered enough things in my life to not trust that.