And the beatings go on: Sox drop 3rd straight

Chicago 4, Boston 2
WP: Vazquez (7-5)
LP: Matsuzaka (11-7)
SV: Jenks (26)
HRs: CHI-Konerko (21)

This non-call on Pierzynski was one of the many things that didn't go right for Boston

SUMMARY
Boston continues its descent into a bona-fide pennant race with another dispiriting loss after a drenching two-hour rain delay.

Nothing like waiting till nearly one in the morning to discover how bad your team sucks.

#1 STUNNER A.J. Pierzynski 3-4, 3RBI
Everyone's favorite punching bag was the one doing all the hitting tonight, tallying half of Chicago's hits and driving in its first three runs on RBI singles in the first and sixth innings.

PAN'S FAUN Dice-K 5IP, 2H, 3ER, 6BB, 6K
If that isn't one of the stranger lines you'll see then I don't know what is.

After another start dotted with both poor and excellent stretches, I am beginning to realize that Matsuzaka's sudden sporadic troubles are unavoidable and quietly mystifying, much like the man himself.

RECAP
It's time.

Time to start snapping at the spouse, barking at the kids, ignoring the neighbors and ridiculing the co-workers.

Time to start waking up miserable in the morning (or afternoon) because you're going to bed miserable every night.

Time to trot out old good luck rituals and the favorite hats, to start building shrines and revving up the high-pitched whines.

Because there ain't no two ways about it now: our beloved Sox are in a bad way.

After a two hour rain delay pushed the start of this one back to 9:02 PM EST, the Faithful who waited it out (nearly all of them, of course) were treated to 3 1/2 hours of Chinese water torture, beginning with a 50-pitch first inning and and ending with another (rain-drenched) loss.

In between Daisuke Matsuzaka alternated slices of un hittable brilliance (14 of 15 batters retired at one point) with stretches of maddening mediocrity (three consecutive walks followed by a 2-run single in the sixth), and after his 20th start in a Boston uniform I don't believe any of us in the Nation know what to expect from him on any given start.

In other words he's turning into Julian Tavarez.

I knew they shouldn't have let those two "talk" so much in the dugout at the beginning of the year.

The warning signs showed up in the very first inning that Dice might not be right, possible due to the lengthy delay. But would a guy who once threw 250 pitches in a 17-inning game and who tosses 100-150 pitches in between starts really be bothered by something as trivial as a rain delay?

Whether you want to blame the weather or not, Matsuzaka was shaky in the first. After retiring the first two batters, including countryman Tad Iguchi on a three-pitch whiff, Dice experienced that mysterious loss of control that has plagued many of his starts.

He walked Jim Thome and Paul Konerko, then surrendered a drooping single to right to A.J. Pierzynski, and Thome scurried home with the first run of the night. The damage was minimized when Jermaine Dye grounded into a double play, but Matsuzaka needed 32 pitches and nearly 20 minutes to get through the frame.

Uh-oh.

The Sox took the lead with a couple of runs in the second, but they had to be two of the most unimpressive runs scored in recent memory, a fact compounded by bad Boston base running that prematurely ended the inning and prevented what could have been an even bigger uprising.

Professional Hitter Mike Lowell (2-4, R) sparked the rally with a leadoff single off of Javier Vazquez (6IP, 9H, 2ER, 2BB, 5K.) Jason Varitek followed with a sky high shot to shallow left that dropped in front of Rob Mackowiak to set up a prime scoring opp.

Then nearly got it when Wily Mo Pena scorched a shot down the third base line that seemed headed for the left field corner but was snagged by Joe Crede's replacement Josh Fields; only the hustle of Pena, who beat it out for a fielder's choice, prevented the double play.

Two pitches later the scalding Julio Lugo (1-4, R, BI) hit a hard hopper to deep short that he also beat out at first, and Lowell came home and tied the score at one.

Amazingly, Coco Crisp would then also hit a ball to deep short that he beat out at first, and the odd inning was alive and kicking for Dustin Pedroia.

The second sacker, who followed his three-hit performance last night with another tonight, took Vazquez' second offering and lined a single to right that scored Lugo, and suddenly the Sox had a 2-1 lead.

Told you it was unimpressive.

But what happened next was downright depressive, though.

As Pedroia rounded first on the hit he assumed Dye's throw would go all the way to the plate. But an alert Paul Konerko cut the throw off and trapped Pedroia between first and second.

Pedroia seemed to have done a good job at stalling to let Coco make a break for home, but Crisp hesitated in his attempt, and by the time he did go the Sox had him nailed, with Pierzynski applying the tag to his feet as he dove in vain back to the third base bag.

Tough to get excited about a inning like that, huh?

Still the (good) Sox had the lead, and Dice had settled in after the first, so we should have been feeling pretty good about ourselves, right?

Then why wasn't I?

While Dice was busy setting down 13 of 14 batters from the second to the sixth inning, Boston continued its recent miserable run of failure to capitalize on scoring opportunities. It's become so routine now that talking about it sounds like a skipping CD. But it's unavoidable now.

In the third Manny (2-4) hit a one out single to center, but was left standing at first. In the fourth Lugo singled to left with two outs, reached second on a passed ball and then Coco drew a walk, but Pedroia struck out swinging to end the threat.

Then in the sixth the ugly inning that has been prevalent in so many of Matsuzaka's starts reared its ugly head again.

After four innings of no-hit, one-walk dominance, suddenly the Japanese righty couldn't find the plate. He walked Iguchi, Thome and Konerko on just 15 pitches to start the inning, then faced a do-or-die battle with Pierzynski with the game on the line.

After getting A.J. to chase a couple of bad pitches, Dice-K had a 2-2 count and looked poised for a big strikeout. His next pitch, a taut fastball, looked to catch the outside corner for strike three.

But home plate ump Tim McClelland didn't think so, and a visibly disappointed Matsuzaka and vocally displeased crowd had to watch Pierzynski bat with the count full.

Anyone who's ever lived through a sports team's losing streak could see what was coming next, and A.J. the asshole did not disappoint.

Pierzynski thumped a ball hard into the infield dirt that skipped under Youk's glove and brought home the tying and go-ahead run, and the way the Sox have been playing, everyone watching knew the game was over right there.

Oh Boston would blow another prime scoring chance when Pedroia and Papi singled with one out, but a spectacular catch of a Manny drive at the bullpen wall in the triangle by Jerry Owens (who?!) and a strikeout of Youk squelched yet another Sox scoring opp.

It didn't even matter that Hideki Okajima came in and gave up his first run in 17 innings on a homer by Konerko in the ninth. By that time many of the diehards had left, disappointed by another lackluster effort by a team that can't seem to buy a win.

Any way we can play the D-Rays every night?

At least the Jays came back to beat the Stanks.

NOTES

• Perdoia's second consecutive three-hit night raised his average from .311 to .321
• Lugo's hit extended his streak to nine games (16-34, .471); Lowell reached eight straight games with his two knocks
• Okajima had gone 17 innings spanning 15 appearances without allowing a run; it was his first longball surrendered since Opening Day against KCs John Buck
• The win was Vazquez' 4th straight; he had been 1-3 at Fenway
• On top of Field's snag and Owen's catch, Jermaine Dye made four or five excellent catches in right. He robbed Manny of extra bases in the first, took a potential Pesky shot away from Tek in the sixth, and twice robbed Ortiz of possible hits
• Manny Delcarmen relived Matsuzaka in the sixth and allowed one hit but held the score; Snyder pitched the ninth, allowing a hit and a walk
• Boston had 11 hits and left nine men on base; every starter had a hit except recently slumping Youk (0-4) and always slumping Wily Mo (0-3)

RECORD: 56-39
AL EAST: Up 7 gms on NYY
STREAK: L-3
LAST10: 3-7
UP NEXT: Fri vs. Chi 705