Just think, if it weren’t for Dan Bard, closer no-longer-in-waiting, the Sox would be running away with the AL East. Or at least ahead by a game or a game and a half. Even weirder, everything I read around the intertubes leads me to think that it’s the catching, not the pitching, that is crippling the Olde Towne Team.
Tonight the Sox look to rebound from another bullpen crumble (that’s a couple in just a few days) as they send Josh Beckett to the hill to face Fausto Carmona. Comment about the action here.
Beckett getting worn out. 43 pitches and not even through 2.
So in another game of tit-for-tat HBP, Crawford, leading off, gets hit, then steals second.
He’s the tying run.
Jeff Passan on Matsuzaka: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=Asic_apJzvbVdb87ZLQ_0TYRvLYF?slug=jp-passan_daisuke_matsuzaka_bust_052411
What is the Sox’ performance with a man on third and less than two outs? Gut tells me not good, but is this just dumb fan perception vs. reality? Does every fan think his team stinks situationally since failures sting more?
Ellsbury walks. 1/3, one down, and Lowrie up. Would be nice to see Ellsbury time a steal here.
Lowrie crushes one to the edge of the wall in dead center. Wind blowing in keeps it to a sac fly. Shitty fucking luck again, but a good at-bat and productive. Game tied back up.
It is no fault of his but when Gonzo goes a couple of games without a big hit it feels like a massive slump. Damn these raised expectations!
Gonzo! Rip down the first base line and that’s a double and a 2-1 lead. Slump over!
Youk flies to right. Probably should have done better with the pitch he saw but a lead is good. Need an efficient inning from Beckett here.
Please let the Drew Sutton era end quickly.
Give Sutton a chance to get comfortable. And I think Yamaico Navarro will get the call once he’s ready to come off the DL.
Tek!
Pedroia said he will be back tomorrow. Let’s hope that is the case
So is Rich Hill now the new setup guy?
OK that’s the CF’s ball. Can’t believe that Carl cut Jacoby off there. That could have been really ugly
Nice dig there by A-Gon. Poor defense by the Sox this inning, ball goes off Tek’s glove and Duncan takes second, the Crawford/Els near miss, and Lowery throwing on about 15 feet short of first.
Bard unavailable tonight.
I figured he was, but after a couple of blown saves recently maybe someone else should be pitching the 8th.
Crap. Fail.
Here we go again.
Just saw Buck hit the homer. Not concerned until someone else gets on and the tying run is up…plus Papelbon’s first homer given up on the year says Orsillo.
Now Drew runs down Cabrera’s pop fly.
Game over–eat sh*t, Indians.
Beckett is crazy this year.
They don’t make this shit easy. After seeing these past two games I’m thinking the Indians are for real, up to this point in the season.
Whee!!