Atrocious pitching, horrible error lead to heartbreaking loss for Sox

Detroit 10, Sox 9
WP: Jones (1-0)
LP: Papelbon (2-1)
SV: None
HRs: BOS-Youk, 2 (6), Lowell (2); DET-None

SUMMARY:
Boston came back from deficits of 5-1 and 8-4 to take a 9-8 lead in the 8th inning, only to see all that hard work thrown away. Jonathan Papelbon blew his first save of the year, allowing two runs in the bottom of the 9th, but it was another error by Julio Lugo that prolonged the inning and led to the loss.

SUPERSTAR: Placido Polanco 5-6, 2R, 3BI, GW RBI
The man with the cranium of a T3000 came through in the clutch all night, no more so than when he blooped a broken bat single over Lugo's head to drive in the game winning run in the 9th.

THE BIGGEST LOSER: Lugo 1-2, 2B, BB, E
Let's just say there's a certain poetic irony to the fact that the ball Lugo booted for his major league-leading 10th error was hit by the last man who was a complete and unmitigated bust at the shortstop position for Boston - Edgar Rentanerror.

Welcome to the club, Julio.

RECAP:
Boston's five game winning streak and Detroit's five game losing streak both came to a stunning end in a wild game at Comerica Park that had more ups and downs than Robert Downey Jr's career.

If you like horrid pitching and video game-like hitting this game was for you, because it sure had plenty of both. The starting pitchers for both sides, Clay Buchholz and Armando Galarraga, did not pitch nearly up the the level they had been recently, and the relievers for both sides weren't much better.

The result? Detroit slammed a season-high 18 hits, the most Boston has allowed all season, although only two went for extra bases, and Boston clubbed a dozen base knocks, including three more homers and four doubles, in a game that was nearly delayed by rain but still took almost four hours to complete.

I guess the Tigers really are trying to be the new Stankees.

Anyway, I'm too worn out from coaching my son's third baseball game in three nights and then watching this maddening ballagame to write a coherent synopsis right now, so I'm going to head to bed with visions of Julio Lugo bobbling yet another routine ground ball dancing in my head.

Maybe when I wake up I'll read that he's been traded to Chicago for Orlando Cabrera.

Bring back the OC, please Theo!

Goodnight now.
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Well, just as I though, the light of day hasn't made the pain of last night's loss any easier to take. I don't believe Lugo was demoted, traded or castrated overnight either, making matters even worse.

It was a game that resembled one of my son's Little League games in many ways, filled with odd plays, miscues, crazy comebacks and final-inning drama. The only things missing were a pitch count and a "no leading" rule.

As I said both staters were less than impressive, especially Buchholz (4IP, 10H, 5ER, 1BB, 6K), who had his worst outing in almost a month. He was in trouble in every inning, none more so than the 3rd, when he allowed four runs on five hits and a walk.

After a leadoff double by Pudge Rodriguez, Polanco rapped a one-out double to left for the Tigers first run, then Carlos Guillen follwed with a single to center to score Polanco for a 2-0 lead.

Buchholz gave up a single to Magglio Ordonez and walked Miguel Cabrera to load the bases, and slumping Gary Sheffield, who had three hits on the night, singled to left to score Guillen. An RBI groundout by rookie Matt Joyce completed the scoring, and probably should have completed Buchholz' night, but he was allowed to come back for more abuse.

Boston sliced the lead in half when Kevin Youkilis hit a towering homer to left with Mike Lowell aboard with two outs in the 4th, but Buchholz gave one run right back when Detroit got three straight hits with two out in the bottom of the inning to run the score to 5-2.

Boston again cut the deficit in the nexct inning when they parlayed a walk, hit by ppitch, fielder's choice and a stolen base into a pair of runs, the first comeing home on a sac fly by Jed Lowrie and the second on an opposite field bleeder from Big Papi (2-5, BI), and suddenly the score was 5-4 and Boston had hope of winning a game that seemed unwinnable just a few innings earlier.

And then Julian tavarez relieved Buchholz to start the 5th and Julie immediately gave three runs right back as Detroit put together four more hits and a sacrifice, the big blow being a two-run double by Rodriguez that was followed by an RBI single by PPolanco, and with the score 8-4 it looked like it was lights out time for Boston.

Not so fast my friends.

Another longball from Youk cut the deficit to 8-5 in the 6th, and after Galarraga (5.1IP, 7H, 5ER, 1BB, 6K, 2HR) was removed in favor of Zach Miner to start the 7th, Botson got all the way back in the game with one swing of the bat.

Jacoby Ellsbury (2-5, 2R) started the rally with a leadoff single and then he stole second for his 2nd steal of the game and 22nd straight to start his career, and after a couple of outs Manny walked, forcing Leyland to bring rookie righty Francisco Cruceta to face Mike Lowell with the game in the balance.

Lowell made the decision look foolish when he crushed a 2-1 offering from Cruceta deep into the left field seats for a game-tying, crowd-silencing 3-run homer, and just like that it was a new game, 8-8.

Who knew then that the best - and worst - was still yet to come.

The best part happened when Dustin Pedroia lined a clutch pinch hit single off Cruceta in the top of the 9th that scored JD Drew with the go-ahead run that gave the Sox a 9-8 lead with 6 outs to go. Knowing that Boston had Hideki Okajima lined up for the 8th and Papelbon raring to go in the 9th brought a sense of calm to the Nation, and a feeling that the comeback kids would aadd another notch to their belts.

Ah, no.

Oki, who has been shaky lately, barely survived the 8th after he allowed a one-out singles to Ordonez and Cabrera, but fortunatley he got Sheffield to strike out and Leyalnd made a boneheaded decison to send the runners, and Mags was easily gunned out at third to end the inning.

Whew!

Boston had a chance to pad the lead in the 9th when Lowell doubled and Drew walked, but ancient Todd jones escpaed the inning unscathed, setting up the 9th inning dramatics for Detroit.

Papelbon, who had been the only reliable member of the pen all season, had coverted saves in his last two appearances and hadn't allowed a run since April 17th against the Stanks, so there was no fear in the hearts of sox fans that this would be another routine save of a game that was anything but routine.

Turned out that was mere wishful thinking.

Things started ominously when Joyve beat out an infoeld dribbler to short for his first major league hit, and they got worse when one batter later Rentanerror hit a tough hoper to Lugo that might not have been a double play ball but should definitely resulted in an out somehwere.

Instead Lugo got caught up thinking two instead of getting the sure out (another Little League no-no), and after he lost the ball in the transfer, both runner were safe and the tension was suddenly ratcheted up to full peak.

Rodriguez' sacrifice moved the runners up and then Granderson's groundout tied the game, but Boston still had hopes for extra innings if Paps could just retire Bigheado Polanco.

Unfortunately after battling to a full count, Polanco chuncked a broken bat blooper over Lugo's head (appropraitely) and Rentanaerror came around to score the winning run (ditto), and Boston had snuck a loss out of the jaws of victory after fighting so hard to come back and take the lead.

But we just have to put this one behind us and hope Beckett comes out like the Beckett of old tomorrow night and the Sox can at least take the series from the Tigers, and pray that Detroit doesn't use this win as a springboard to a long winning streak that salvages their sinking season.

And pray that Lugo comes up with a sudden injury that will enable Boston to bury him on the DL until they can find a way to unload the latest incarnation of Edgar.

RECORD: 22-14
AL EAST: Up 3.5 gms
STREAK: L1
LAST 10: 7-3
UP NEXT: Thu @ DET 705 Beckett vs. Verlander