It can't get any worse than this can it? It better not. After enduring their worst defeat of the season, the Sox need to find a way to snap out of the funk they're in or they'll find themselves in third place by the time they get back to Fenway.
Wednesday's loss to the Rays was really tough to watch. From Dice-K's wild first inning, to Lugo's idiotic slide in the 4th, to the bullpen implosion in the 7th, the Sox did everything they could to hand the Rays this game and a sweep of the series. I'm starting to really not like Tampa.
The questionable decisions started even before this game began. When the lineups were announced, I was sure we'd see Kevin Cash at catcher, especially against the lefty Scott Kazmir. But there was Jason Varitek penciled in again, and to make matters worse he was batting 7th.
BOX SCORE: Rays 7, Red Sox 6
After Dustin Pedroia - who almost single-handedly won this game for the Sox - homered in the first, Daisuke Matsuzaka gave the lead right back. How many time have Sox pitchers given up leads immediately after they've gotten them? This has become an epidemic just like the amount of two-out runs they've been allowing.
Dice-K was his typical wild self, walking three in the first, but he got out of it with just one run scoring. He then settled down and was cruising with a 4-1 lead after 5 innings and having thrown 101 pitches.
Given the state of the bullpen, he'd surely pitch another inning - not. For some reason Terry Francona brought in Hideki Okajima to start the 6th and the battle of the bullpens was on.
Okajima had one of his best innings of the season striking out two, so maybe he would get to pitch another inning - not.
Manny Delcarmen was brought in to start the seventh. After he faced three batters without getting an out, Craig Hansen came on. He was just as bad and also couldn't get any of the three batters he faced out while giving up the lead. Finally David Aardsma was brought in the stop the bleeding, but it was too late.
What the hell is Francona thinking? Is there such a thing as a manager being in a slump? If so, he's in a huge one. This entire road trip has been full of questionable decisions and Wednesday's loss has to go squarely on Tito's shoulders.
Despite the questionable pitching decisions and lineup, the Sox were able to rally and cut the lead to 7-6 in the 9th with one out, Mike Lowell on first and Tek scheduled to bat.
This was an obvious pinch-hitting situation. With a righty on the mound and no one warming up, you had to feel good about Sean Casey's chances of keeping the rally going. But wait, Casey is still in the dugout and here comes Tek who might as well be going up the plate with a wiffle ball bat.
To make matters worse, with a 1-0 count Francona sends Mike Lowell - one of the slowest runners on the team. Tek waives at the pitch like he has about 100 pitches in a row and Lowell is thrown out by 10 feet. It's game over on the inevitable strikeout by Tek.
I'll say it again. What the hell is Francona thinking? My 6-year-old could have managed that game better. Is Casey in the doghouse? That's three games in a row that he should have at least pinch hit and he still hasn't seen the field. I know he's loyal to his players, but everyone can see how bad Tek is struggling and that he needs some time off. And if he is going to play him he should be batting ninth.
Then there's Manny. For one of the greatest hitters of all-time, he looks really bad right now. He can't even catch up to mediocre fastballs.
His I-don't-care attitude is getting old again too. He jogged down the line in the 9th on his ball in the hole to shortstop and was lucky to reach base because of a bad throw. Then after the game with the Sox just being swept for their 5th straight loss dropping them 5 games back of the Rays in the loss column, he's hanging out in the dugout with a smirk on his face like it doesn't even matter. It does matter Manny. I'll take Youk's over-the-top intensity any day over Manny's BS attitude.
The scary thing about all this is that the Sox may have been exposed. Their bullpen is weak, Lugo the Pig is the worst shorstop in the league, Tek may be washed up, Manny may be on the decline, and Dice-K may never be as good as he was supposed to be.
Now it's on to New York. If the Sox don't at least split the 4-game series they may look back at this week as the point where the season was lost.
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