When a grand slam isn’t enough, try it again. It may not have been a homer, but David “Big Papi” Ortiz hit a walk-off double, driving in his seventh RBI in the 9th inning in two nights. It didn’t start out so well, and didn’t look good until the end; Miguel Cabrera thrust a spear through Boston’s hearts with a two-run shot in the 1st. Daisuke Matsuzaka gave up three straight singles in the next inning to give Detroit a 3-0 lead.

With Jeremy Hermida being designated for assignment and Ramon Ramirez being shipped off to San Francisco, the Sox called up outfielder Ryan Kalish from Pawtucket (I know, I’ve never heard of him either). But when he led off the 3rd, batting out of the 8th slot, Kalish singled to lead off the inning in his first major league at bat. Too bad the Sox offense did nothing with it. And too bad Matsuzaka gave the Tigers a 4-0 lead in the next inning following two doubles, too.

The Tigers threatened again in the 7th, leading off with a double and sacrifice bunt, but a strikeout and flyout (with an intentional walk of Cabrera in between) fixed all that. The Sox did their first damage in the bottom of the frame, scoring two runs on four straight hits. Included in that streak was Ryan Kalish’s first career RBI. It could’ve been 4-3 instead of 4-2 if Bill Hall had either run faster or hadn’t attempted to stretch his single into a double; he was out by a country mile.

Then the game came down to the bottom of the 9th, with the Sox down 4-2. Down to their last chance, Darnell McDonald singled to short, in what could have been ruled an error on a bobble. Marco Scutaro flied out, but Jed Lowrie (pinch hitting) pulled out a double to put the tying run in scoring position. Kevin Youkilis was walked intentionally (remember this for later), in order to get to the strike-out master David Ortiz. It’s not a bad move, but this time, Ortiz doubled to left-center. Remember Youkilis being put on first? The ball was placed well enough for Youkilis to run around from first and beat out the throw, which didn’t quite arrive in time.

Sox Stud of the Game: David Ortiz

Ortiz was Boston’s best bet to do something to put the Sox back in it, and did he ever.

Sox Dud of the Game: Adrian Beltre, Bill Hall, and Daisuke Matsuzaka

Beltre grounded into two double plays in consecutive plate appearances. Hall could have done more damage without his base running mistake. Matsuzaka gave up four runs in 6.0 innings plus a batter; he always seems to run into trouble.

Game Notes:

W: Hideki Okajima (4-3)
L: Phil Coke (6-2)

• Newcomer Ryan Kalish was 2/4 with two singles, a strikeout, a RBI, and a run scored. He also made a nice catch against the wall to end the top of the 6th, and nailed home plate umpire Dan Iassonga in the face with a broken bat (accidentally) in the 7th.
• Dustin Richardson, also up from Pawtucket, pitched 0.2 innings.
• The Red Sox got the lead-off hitter on base seven times, but only capitalized the twice. Both times they didn’t get the lead-off man on, it was Scutaro.
• The bottom third of the Tigers’ lineup was 5/9 against Matsuzaka, but started 5/6.
• The last walk-off home run by the Red Sox was on August 26, 2009 by David Ortiz against the White Sox.
• As off press, time, the Sox’ win put them 6.0 games behind the Rays and 7.0 behind the Yankees, and the Rays and Yankees were tied 3-3 in the middle of the 6th.
• Saturday baseball on Fox was brought to you by Taco Bell.

© John for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | No comment
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The Red Sox have traded a Ramirez for the second time in the last three years at the trade deadline. This time, there’s not as many fireworks to go with it.

According to WEEI’s Rob Bradford, the Red Sox have traded reliever Ramon Ramirez to the Giants, but it’s not known what the received in return. Ramirez has had a difficult year, but has pitched better as of late. Ramirez has a 4.46 ERA in 46 games.

He was nearly traded to the New York Mets before the Giants swooped in at the 11th hour.

The Red Sox called up Dustin Richardson to fill Ramirez’s spot, so perhaps the Red Sox just received a player to be named.

More on this as it develops…

© KC Downey for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | No comment
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In perhaps the final start of his long major league career (more on that in a second), Tim Wakefield had a very…well…Wakefield-like outing. Of his 6 innings pitched, five were outstanding, and one was a disaster. Add it up, and he allowed four runs (three earned) on three hits and two walks with five K’s. Unfortunately, four runs was all the Red Sox bats could muster all game.

The once-perfect Dallas Braden, who tossed the gem on May 8, has not won a game since then, and that trend continued on Tuesday night. In his first start of the DL, Braden was hit around like a pinata, as he gave up four runs (one earned) on 10 hits in 4.2 innings. After recording two quick outs in the fifth, he allowed two baserunners to reach and was pulled. The Red Sox actually loaded the bases that inning but failed to score on the A’s bullpen, a trend that would continue all game.

The Sox and A’s relievers traded good inning after good inning, and after nine frames, the score was locked at 4-4. Unfortunately, Terry Francona had to turn to Ramon Ramirez. Ramirez recorded the first out of the inning, then allowed a single to Daric Barton, who then reached second on a balk. Dustin Richardson came in to retire pinch hitter Adam Rosales, and then Michael Bowden (fresh off his SoB cover story) allowed his inherited runner to score when he gave up a walk-off hit to Kevin Kouzmanoff, giving the A’s the 5-4 win in 10 innings.

Sox Stud of the Game: Tim Wakefield

Wake gets honorary mention here, as the knuckleballer has possibly had his last start in the major leagues. Assuming all starters are healthy the rest of the way (and that is a stretch at this point), Wake will pitch long relief out of the bullpen for the rest of 2010. Signed for next season as well, Wakefield has sought the all-time record for wins by a Red Sox pitcher, and aimed to get that within the next two years. With only three wins (3-8) and a 5.58 ERA this year, Wake is still 14 wins short of tying Roger Clemens and Cy Young’s 192-win total.

Sox Dud of the Game: Ramon Ramirez

One hit, two walks allowed in 1.1 innings. I’d say he’s a fourth inning relief man, meaning you don’t want him in close-and-late situations. What happened to this guy?

Game Notes:

W: Andrew Bailey (1-3)
L: Ramon Ramirez (0-3)

• Three Sox batters had two hits, including Marco Scutaro, Darnell McDonald, and Adrian Beltre.
• Mike Cameron reached base three times on a hit and two walks.

© KC Downey for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | No comment
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Blame it on the bullpen. Or blame the injuries. Or even blame the rain delay. Wherever you point the finger after tonight’s 8-4loss to the Rangers, make sure it ultimately lands on Bengie Molina.  He is killing the Sox.

Coming off a 7-2 thumping at the hands of the Rangers Thursday night, the Red Sox looked to exact some revenge on their opponents from the Lone Star State. Early on, it seemed possible. After a giving up two runs in the first inning, Felix Doubront settled into his groove. J.D. Drew took it upon himself to even things back up, driving in a run and scoring on a wild pitch. Doubront matched his counterpart, Colby Lewis, and headed into the fourth inning still tied at two. There was a chance. The wheels were in motion.

And then the rains came. After a one-hour rain delay, Adrian Beltre homered (14) to pull the Sox ahead. They looked poised to build on their lead, but not for long.

Doubront got himself into trouble with a throwing error and was subsequently taken out, though still clinging to a one run lead. Maybe the team could have stretched Doubront another inning or two had rain held off. Who knows? Nevertheless, Fernando Cabrera came in and his performance typified the bullpen woes of the injury-riddled Sox. He walked Nelson Cruz and David Murphy to load the bases. Next up was Rangers’ catcher Bengie Molina, who blasted a grand slam to dead centerfield, blowing the game wide-open. Though the raid had stopped, the bullpen left the floodgates wide open.

The story of the night has to be Bengie Molina’s cycle. With a single, a double, and a homer in the scorebook, Molina drove a Ramon Ramierez pitch deep to the track in centerfield in the eighth inning. Eric Patterson did his best Willie Mays impression but instead knocked the ball towards the bullpen. Huffing and puffing into third base, Molina beat an errant throw to become the first catcher in history to hit a grand slam en route to a cycle. He left the game with a leg injury, but likely needed to find an oxygen tank.

Sox Studs of the Game

J.D. Drew went 1 for 3 with 2 RBI and a run scored and Adrian Beltre hit his 14^th home run of the year and improves his average to .332

Sox Dud of the Game

Fernando Cabrera allowed 2 walks, 2 hits, 3 earned runs, and a homerun in 1.1 innings

Game Notes

W: Lewis (9-5)

L: Doubront (1-2)

• Doubront (1-2) went 4.2 innings, allowing 4 runs, 2 of them earned, on 7 hits and 2 walks.  He struck out 5 batters
• The last opposing player to hit for the cycle in Fenway was Andre Thornton in 1978
• The Red Sox allowed their 41^st home run of the season, ranking them first in the majors in home runs allowed

© Chris Buonomo for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | No comment
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With the 2010 Midsummer Classic in the books, after Joe Girardi screwed the American League out of homefield advantage in the World Series, it’s time to look ahead. The unofficial second half of the season will get underway for your Boston Red Sox Thursday night at Fenway Park, with the opener of a four-game series against the Texas Rangers and their gargantuan lineup. Things do not get much easier after that, with the Sox headed out on a 10-game west coast swing that will all but bring them to the July 31st trade deadline.

But if the first half of the season has proven anything about this team, it’s that they are close-knit bunch of scrappers and gamers (save for one Jacoby Ellsbury), that have fought through an unimaginable rash of injuries to keep them in a division race that requires them to have the fourth best record in the majors (51-37). It’s no exaggeration to call what this team has done to this point remarkable, but for all that went wrong for them in the first half, that much more will have to go right in the second half for the Red Sox to secure another trip to the postseason.

It all starts with getting most of the walking wounded back on the field. With a league-leading 11 players on the disabled list (nine if you don’t count Jed Lowrie and Junichi Tazawa, who weren’t expected to be key contributors), the Red Sox have been devoid of a consistent starting lineup pretty much from the get-go. The starting pitching has done well to keep this team afloat, but the bullpen has also cost this team in the late innings, and remains the biggest question mark. As we look ahead into the crystal ball, let’s break down the parts that make the Red Sox a whole.

The Lineup

Despite not having the opening day one-through-nine that was envisioned for this season available, this is still a line-up that leads the American League in runs with 481, is third in hits and batting average with 845 and .276 respectively, and tops in slugging percentage and OPS by wide margins. The whole idea of “run prevention” instead of “run production” seemed quite acidic to many Sox fans before the season got underway, but this lineup has proved it can hold it’s own with the league’s best.

If Jacoby Ellsbury can get back atop the order soon (but who has a timeline? anyone?) and spark the offense like he is capable, this team is in very good shape. Marco Scutaro has filled in quite admirably at lead-off (.283/.348/.727) for a guy who was acquired to be the No. 9 hitter in this lineup, so the idea of him bringing up the rear once again is quite an enviable one.

The keys are going to be Dustin Pedroia and Victor Martinez. Getting them back, healthy and producing, will be critical to protecting the core of this lineup from exposure, and the bullpen from overtaxing and overexposure. As it stands now, if a starter fails to go five solid innings, this lineup will have to spot any bullpen pitcher not named Bard or Papelbon a good cushion. Once Pedroia and Martinez are back in their respective spots, and Jeremy Hermida can return to help take pressure of Daniel Nava and Darnell McDonald, the Red Sox have plenty of reasons for optimism. The only question that remains: can Adrian Beltre and, more urgently, David Ortiz continue true to their first half form?

Starting Rotation

Even with Josh Beckett on the shelf, and John Lackey delivering anything but an impressive first half, the starting pitching has been the crutch for a team that has limped through an inconsistent lineup and bullpen. The two all-stars, Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz, have both risen to double-digits in wins while sporting sub-3.00 ERAs, with Lackey lagging (that term is generous) behind with nine wins.

Tim Wakefield will be his normal self, and the Daisuke Matsuzaka experiment continues. Assuming Buchholz can come back from his hamstring injury at the same clip as co-ace with Lester, then the fate of the starting rotation lies in Beckett and Lackey’s hands. You have to expect that an $80-plus million dollar free agent will show up in the second half, lowering his 4.78 ERA and helping to carry the Red Sox into the playoffs, where he will really earn his money. Beckett, fresh off a contract extension and another long stint on the DL, will have to prove he is up to the task of anchoring this rotation, as he headed off the roster with a 7.29 ERA and a record of 1-1 in eight mediocre starts. Anything you get from Wake and Dice at this point is a bonus.

Bullpen

As a true and glaring weakness they share with the other division contenders, the bullpen looks as if it’s the make-or-break element to the Red Sox’ success down the stretch. While Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon are constants as your eighth-t0-ninth performers, there are questions abound for six and seven. Scott Atchison has been a lone bright spot, but with Hideki Okajima (your only left-hander) and Manny Delcarmen lost to injury and inconsistency, and Ramon Ramirez continuing to instill zero confidence in his ability in anything but mop-up duty, where does this team turn?

News has recently come down that Red Sox will look for some relief in-house. Michael Bowden, who so far this season is 6-3 with a 3.60 ERA in 16 starts and 19 overall appearances for the Pawtucket Red Sox, has been moved from the starting rotation the bullpen down in AAA in anticipation of his move to the major league club. Bowden has failed to live up to the hype that surrounded him a few years ago, but has shown flashes of the potential that many in the organization believe he still possesses. And, of course, the other option would be…

The Trade Deadline

This does not seem to be the most practical route. The Red Sox in recent years have shown hesitance to part with farm talent on a whim, and you will be competing with just about every other team (except for the Padres) for the limited middle relief help that is available, not to mention the Yankees and Rays. While names like Kerry Wood, Octavio Dotel, Chad Qualls, and Kyle Farnsworth would intrigue some, would it really be worth it to mortgage farm talent or even major-league-ready talent for the most puzzling position on the roster? There’s a reason middle relief pitchers don’t get locked into long-term deals.

Schedule

Starting with this second half, the Red Sox have seven more road games than home games left on their schedule. This ten-game west coast trip to start the road schedule is certainly a tough test to open the second half, and they are looking at seven game trip away from Fenway against the Yankees and White Sox to finish out the season, who are both division leaders coming out of the All-Star break. The Sox actually do not have a home game left against New York this season. Certainly a tough test. But most would not be crazy to think that the Sox are up to it, given the first half they have had and what they have managed to overcome so far.

© Mike Martyniak for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | No comment
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Boston almost had it, but in the end handed the Rays a 6-5 victory. Marco Scutaro started off the game with a bunt single, and despite a walk and passed ball, nothing came of it. Then the Rays started like you’d expect, with a walk and (surprise) stolen base from Ben Zobrist, who was doubled home by Carl Crawford. But the Sox answered in the 3rd. After two quick fly-outs, Eric Patterson homered, Ortiz walked, Youk tripled him home (how about that speed?), and Beltre, Drew, and Hall singled before Mike Cameron ended the inning. The result was a four-spot for Boston. Eric Patterson added another homer in the next inning after a pitching change.

But the Rays were never out of it. This was Daisuke Matsuzaka, the broken guy who can never seem to have a great game all the way through. Sure enough, the Rays broke through int he 5th, when Zobrist and Crawford singled. Willy Aybar doubled, and Kevin Cash committed a passed ball, which brought the Rays back to a 5-3 hole. Matsuzaka wasn’t any better when he started the 6th, pitching to four batters without recording an out. Sean Rodriguez doubled, Carlos Pena walked, Jason Bartlett singled on a bunt Matsuzaka couldn’t do anything with, then John Jaso (I haven’t heard of him either) singled in two runs.

The Red Sox loaded the bases with one out in the 7th, but we know how miserable they are with the bases loaded; two strikeouts ended the threat. The Rays led off their half of the inning with two singles, which later led to a sac fly after a soft ground-out to second. The substitutions then started flowing, but all for naught, as neither team could really do much of anything from then on out.

Sox Stud of the Game: Eric Patterson

Two homers in a game was a huge help and kept the Sox going, but sadly, it wasn’t enough.

Sox Dud of the Game: Daisuke Matsuzaka

Once again, Matsuzaka showed why he is the biggest (by far) waste of money in baseball history. Sports history, for that matter. $51.11 million to just talk to someone back before they signed him was too much, by about $51.11 million.

Game Notes

W: Randy Choate (2-2)
L: Ramon Ramirez (0-2)
S: Rafael Soriano (22)

• Tampa re-captured the Wildcard spot by half a game.
• Daniel Bard’s ERA is now down to 1.99.
• 28,528 fans escaped 72-degree weather inside the dome for three hours, forty minutes.

© John for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | No comment
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One night after a 12-2 trouncing of the Philadelphia Phillies at Fenway Park, Boston defeated Philadelphia one more time, by the incredibly close score of 10-2. Big news was made before the game began when Daisuke Matsuzaka, freshly recovered from a food-poisoning-induced vomiting Wednesday, was scratched from his starts just moments before the game began. While warming up, Matsuzaka felt pain in his right forearm. When he notified trainers of it, he was removed from his start and placed on the 15-day DL. Scott Atchison made his first major league start in the emergency situation.

With two runners in scoring position after a sacrifice bunt, the Phillies struck first, in the form of a two-run double from Brain Schneider in the 2nd inning. But don’t worry, Red Sox fans, I’ve already told you the final score, so you can breathe easy. In the bottom of the frame, J.D. Drew brought the Sox closer with a lead-off solo shot to right. Following consecutive singles by Adrian Beltre, Jason Varitek, and Darnell McDonald, a recently called up newb by the name of Daniel Nava came up to the plate. Never heard of him? Neither have I. Too bad for Joe Blanton. Nava swung at the first pitch and belted a grand slam into right-center. Didn’t see that one coming.

But the fun didn’t end there. With the bases loaded in the 3rd, Marco Scutaro singled in two more runs, then Dustin Pedroia singled in another one. Drew doubled in Kevin Youkilis in the 4th to put the Sox up 9-2, and Jason Varitek grounded into a double play in the 6th with the bases loaded. At least a run scored out of the deal. Other than some drama in the 9th, with Jonathan Papelbon throwing to avoid rust, when the Phillies doubled and singled, then took 2nd on defensive indifference, there was no real burst of life for the Phillies offense.

Sox Stud of the Game: Daniel Nava

You know why he’s here.

Sox Dud of the Game: Daisuke Matsuzaka

Way to tax the bullpen with ANOTHER injury, you overpriced pitcher who was never anything great to begin with. Here’s hoping Gojira (Godzilla) menaces Tokyo because of you.

Game Notes:

W: Manny Delcarmen (2-2)
L: Joe Blanton (1-5)

• Daisuke Matsuzaka, in 64 games this season, has been on the DL for 78 of them; Daniel Nava has a variety of bean named after him.
• Every Sox starter had a hit by the 4th inning.
• Youk was hit by a pitch for the 65th time in his career in the 6th; that passes Jim Rice for second most all time with the Red Sox. Mo Vaughn leads with 71.
• Philly now has a six-game losing streak at Fenway.
• Dustin Richardson will replace Matsuzaka; Nava replaces Josh Reddick.

© John for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments
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The Red Sox lost the game twice in Cleveland on Thursday night.  After hitting through the order and going up 4-0 in the first inning, it looked like the Red Sox were going to cruise through an easy win over a lowly Indians team.  Jon Lester made it look like more of a sure thing with two strikeouts in a 1-2-3 first inning, setting up the Sox to go up 5-0 in the second.

Then it fell apart for the first time.

Jon Lester, carrying over his recent dominant streak into the first two innings of the game, gave up an uncharacteristic three runs in the third inning, and another three in the sixth to let the Indians go up 6-5.  The Red Sox bats, which only seemed hot seeing as three of their first four runs were unearned as a result of four Cleveland errors, went missing after the first two innings.

And then Adrian Beltre made us think he was a hero.

With two outs in the top of the ninth, an errant pitch gave the Red Sox the slightest bit of hope when it struck JD Drew and extended the game to at least one more batter.  Then Adrian Beltre stepped up and made his eighth home run of the season a big one, towering over centerfielder Trevor Crowe to put the Red Sox ahead 7-6 in the top of the ninth.

So, with momentum on their side and only three outs needed against the 25th ranked team batting average in baseball, it looked like a game to talk about.

And then Daniel Bard made it one to forget.

With Jonathan Papelbon on the bereavement list to attend to a family illness, and after Manny Delcarmen and Ramon Ramirez had already stepped in to slow down what Jon Lester had allowed, Bard was the only option left.  After Bard loaded the bases with no outs on two walks and a double, he got two quick outs and made it interesting for Boston again.

But, sticking to the theme of the game, Bard gave up a walk-off two-run single to pinch hitter Russell Branyon, and officially lost the game.

It wasn’t the desired end to a 10 game road trip.  After winning two out of three in both the Oakland series and the Baltimore series, they showed up in Cleveland and took the first two.  Thursday, they had the opportunity (twice) to win their third consecutive series and return to Boston with a 7-3 record on a tough, coast-to-coast road trip.  Instead, Jon  Lester pitched his worst game since early April, Kevin Youkilis left the game with back spasms, and the Red Sox leave Ohio after splitting a series with a 23-36 Cleveland Indians team in a sloppy, forgettable loss.

© Colin Neagle for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | No comment
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In a contest that could reasonably be assumed to be lopsided, it was, but is was the other team doing the damage, as Tim Wakefield and the Red Sox took down Roy Halladay and the Phillies 8-3. It didn’t take long for Boston to draw first blood, when Kevin Youkilis led off the 2nd inning with a triple, where he awkwardly (right ankle) touched the bag and was hit in the face by the throw all in the same move. J.D. Drew then grounded out but got the RBI as Youkilis, who was not hurt on the play, came home.

Then came the 4th inning, featuring Adrian Beltre coming to bat with the bases loaded for the ninth time this season, a Red Sox leader in that stat. He softly ground to the 3rd baseman Greg Dobbs for the easy double play ball, but not the easy double play, seeing as two runs (one earned) scored when Dobbs did his best Bill Buckner impression and the the ball squeeze right through his legs.

Things didn’t get better for Halladay in the 6th, when Youk led off with a solo shot to left. Scutaro hit an RBI single, and after Wakefield’s sacrifice put runners on 2nd and 3rd, Jacoby Ellsbury grounded to short, but it was a deep ball, and both runs scored; Juan Castro (in for Jimmy Rollins, on the DL again) threw to third thinking Scutaro would run back to the bag, but he never stopped. Chad Durbin came into the game and in three pitches, did what Halladay could not and ended the inning.

The Sox weren’t through, doing more damage in the 9th, when backup catcher Paul Hoover for the Phillies caught Dustin Pedroia in a rundown between third and home, but hit Pedroia trying to throw back to 3rd, resulting in Adrian Beltre’s tenth at bat of the year with the bases loaded; it resulted in a sacrifice fly. Philadelphia didn’t go quietly, though, scoring thrice in the bottom of the inning on two doubles and a homer. They were glad to see the knuckleball out of play, but an eight run deficit was too much to beat out of Ramon Ramirez.

Sox Stud of the Game: Tim Wakefield and Kevin Youkilis

Wakefield pitched a gem, going 8.0 scoreless innings, giving up only five hits and two walks. Youk hit a huge triple to get it started, and his home run opened up some more distance on the scoreboard.

Sox Dud of the Game: Ramon Ramirez

Ramirez gave up three runs on three hits in his 1.0 inning of work. It’s a good thing the lead was so big, because Philly’s spirits should have been crushed by then.

That’s What He Said:

“’Stolen’ is such a strong word … borrowed … I do plan on giving them back at some point.” – Don Orsillo, on how he “borrowed” a pair of pajamas from the airplane on the Sox’ last trip to Japan.

Game Notes:

W: Tim Wakefield (1-2)
L: Roy Halladay (6-3)

• The Sox have three triples on the season; all of them belong to Youkilis.
• Halladay is now 14-15 in his career against the Red Sox; the Sox are the only American League team with a winning record against him.
• Halladay’s six earned runs and 5.2 innings pitched are good for his worst outing of the season.

© John for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | One comment
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At the very least we can say that they are sticking to the theme of the weekend. After the Boston Bruins collapsed to complete one of the biggest choke-jobs in sports history on Friday, the Boston Red Sox entered Saturday night’s game hot off a solid 7-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers where they saw a solid outing from Clay Buchholz and more signs of life from David Ortiz. After five innings of more solid ball, with a two-run home run by Bill Hall giving them a 6-1 advantage, the Sox went on to blow the lead and lose yet another game in extra innings (they are 1-6 in games decided in extra frames so far this season) by a final of 7-6 at Comerica Park in Detroit.

The collapse by the Bruins being what it was, which was on a much larger scale (I promise I won’t bring it up again), when you go 4-15 with runners in scoring position, and fail to capitalize more on 12 walks handed to you (seven by Dontrelle Willis, who was just awful), then it’s safe to call this one a choke-job. It only seemed fitting that the Red Sox ended up dropping this one in excruciating fashion, care of a four-pitch walk from Ramon Ramirez. The fourth and final pitch was not even close, and the Tigers’ Ramon Santiago (seriously?! him?!) trotted down to first base to seal the victory, only after his teammates had steered him off his path towards the dugout and educated him on the basic rules of baseball. That was just the salt in the wound of a night that showed that while the Red Sox are in an enviable position to start relying on their starters more and more, this bullpen is suspect at best. Save for Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon, it’s tough to say what you are going to get on a nightly basis from this cast of characters whose job description falls ironically, and most uncomfortably, under “relief.”

There were some positives of which to harp on in this game. Jon Lester, whose line does not depict how well he actually pitched (seven innings, four runs, four hits, four walks, and 10 strikeouts), is starting to look like his usual second-half-of-the-season self, and David Ortiz had another solid night after earning his first start against a lefty since the season-opening series against the New York Yankees.

But the trouble lied, once again, in this team’s inability to keep it together down the stretch and into the late innings of games. See: the bullpen. Hideki Okajima once again gave a somewhat nauseating effort, blowing a two-run lead in remarkably fast fashion, which led to another extra-inning game where the Red Sox are just unable to sustain competitiveness. After Papelbon and Manny Delcarmen did what they could to keep the Sox afloat, the bottom of the 12th inning would be punctuated by an ineffective at-bat pitched by Scott Schoeneweis (why is he still on this team?) and the subsequent bases-loaded walk given up by Ramirez, after he did well to strike out the previous pinch hitter in Alex Avila.

While it’s clear that the Red Sox would serve themselves well in these coming games to compete against the elite in their league and keep pace with the Yankees and Rays, it’s also clear that this team’s fate could be determined not by their offense, which had worried most everyone heading into this season, but by their pitching staff. If the starting five can maintain a certain steady and controlled rate of success as we know most of them are capable of, then it’s the back-end of this staff that will either push this team to the brink of postseason play again, or push them down to the cellar of the A.L. East; a position this team has not known too well in recent years. It’s simple: so goes this bullpen, so goes the Red Sox.

Sox Stud of the Game: David Ortiz

More encouraging signs that the once-prolific slugger is still alive and kicking. After a two home-run night on Friday, Ortiz went 3-6 on Saturday night with two RBIs. One was an opposite-fielder laced off the outside of the plate, which is certainly also encouraging.

Sox Dud of the Game: Hideki Okajima

His final line for the night: 2/3 of a inning, two earned runs, a strikeout and a home-run given up to Magglio Ordonez. Okajima has not looked like himself up to this point in the season, just another sign of the troubles this team has been having in the bullpen.

Game Notes

W: Jose Valverde (1-1)

L: Manny Delcarmen (1-2)

An almost capacity crowd was at this game (40,742), which is a good sign for Tigers and the city of Detroit.

© Mike Martyniak for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | One comment
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