NOW They Lost Another Series

You know how sometimes you'll have one of those days - forget your boxers at home before heading to the gym, McDonald's is sold out of the $1 McRibs and their fryolator broke, Dennis Kucinnich shows up on a nearby lawn just to mock you for being short - or some combination of equally disastrous events befall you?



Well, that was kind of WMYM's Sunday night. That's supposed to alleviate some of our responsibility for a pair of glaring errors in last night's graded gamer, but it doesn't.

And in truth, that's what makes this network so great: fellow bloggers and readers like ews waste no time in setting things straight when you botch them. Still, as much as it comes at the expense of WMYM's chagrin, the statements we made last night pretty much held true one day later. After another debaucherous Clay Buchholz start on the road, the Red Sox DID in fact lose another series, this time without even getting a shot at Minnesota power closer Joe Nathan. And Manny DID in fact hit homer NUMBER 498, which is only one more than he had after his fruitless pinch hitting job last night, unlike the 297 we stated right here.

Well, we'll try and cover up that blush with a smattering of assorted barbeque sauces - well, probably just Salt Lick, or perhaps Salt Lick's hot varietal - that we're dabbling on top of our McRib. Unfortunately, Buchholz and the Sox don't get that luxury.

To be fair, Buchholz did have moments when his breaking ball kept the Twins hitters dazzled, often with their bats sitting on their shoulders. The problems came when he failed to establish his fastball, allowing hitters to sit back and wait for him to HAVE to deliver one, which they promptly laced to the opposite field in stringing together hits and, shortly thereafter, a sizable lead.


There were other bright spots - a strong return for Sean Casey and yet another sterling performance from Alex Cora at short, to say nothing of a terrific inning of work from Craig Hansen - but they were too few and far between to yield a result. Instead, they just provided false hope as Boston finally got handled again on the road. Now they have to hope they can avoid similar fate in a two-game set in Baltimore, or lose so much of the momentum they've built up over late April and May. That, to say nothing of wasted impressive pitching performances, would be a magnificent shame.

STARTING PITCHING: -
John Farrell made an apperance in the second inning, and Terry Francona nearly pulled Clay Buchholz in the third. Well, in retrospect, maybe he should have. Instead, they let the rookie flounder on the road again, setting the stage for what is sure to be a tricky decision when Bartolo Colon proves he's healthy enough to resume big league pitching. Can anyone remember having a home-only starter in the bigs? And which reliever can the Sox afford to jettison for that to happen, now that Julian Tavarez has officially begun to Fade Into Bolivian?

MIDDLE RELIEF: √+
Great escape work from Javier Lopez and a terrific inning from Craig Hansen helped validate their continued existence on the Red Sox roster. Saving David Aardsma from another inning of work means that he'll almost certainly pitch in Baltimore, one way or the other, after Mike Timlin was the pitching heading to the mound in the eighth. Things could get interesting if Beckett scuffles tomorrow, that's for sure.

SET-UP RELIEF: N/A
Even thinking about this category is making WMYM bitter.

CLOSER: N/A
Even thinking about this category is making WMYM bitter.

LINEUP: -
The Sox hitters got off to an auspicious start with three runs in the first. Then they went to sleep. Dustin Pedroia was robbed out of a 2-for-4 night, Coco Crisp continues to impress, surprisingly, J.D. Drew keeps slap-hitting his way back above .300 and Alex Cora is hitting .727 (*!.727!*), but overall it was a lackluster batting performance. And that's before you consider the situational hitting aspects of the loss. Ay Carumba! Here's a suggestion: As soon as they get down around Eutaw Street tomorrow, the Sox should partake in a crabcake party. That's sure to lift the spirits. Maybe a return to Baltisnore will, too. After all, there's been plenty of happy days there in recent years, that's for sure.

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