Sox lose Dice K, Lugo, Tito and the game on a walk-off hit

Seattle 4, Sox 3
WP: Putz (2-2)
LP: Timlin (2-3)
SV: None
HRs: BOS-Manny (9); SEA-None

SUMMARY:
In what turned out to be an ugly, costly game in the Pacific Northwest Boston starter Daisuke Matsuzaka had to leave the game with an undisclosed injury, Julio Lugo and Terry Francona got tossed for arguing a check swing, and Mike Timlin gave the game away when he allowed two hits and a walk in the 9th inning, handing the Ms their first win in the last 8 games.

SUPERSTAR: Manny Ramirez 1-3, R, 3BI, HR, A
The game wouldn't had come down to a walk off situation had ManRam not knocked his 499th career homerun over the right field wall in the 6th, tying the game a three and prolonging the agony for the Nation. He also contributed an outfield assist, which at the time staved off late game misery as well.

THE BIGGEST LOSER: Timlin 2/3 IP, 2H, 1ER, BB, L
It's time to give Tired Arm his walking papers, a la Kyle Snyder, Julian Tavarez and Bryan Corey before him, because as soon as he entered the game you knew it was over.

RECAP:
Repeat after me: "I friggin stayed up til 1:10 in the morning for that!"

Now say it again.

What's that, you turned it off before the agonizing 9th?

Lucky bastard.

Because for those of us who did stick around til the bitter end it was a long, sour night of baseball, filled with insults, injuries, ejections and frustration as Boston lost for the fourth time in five games and saw its road record drop to an anemic 11-18.

For some perspective that mark is worse than teams such as Texas and Milwaukee and equals that of Kansas City, which has an aggregate record of 21-30.

I'm too tired right now to do a complete recap, so I'm gonna give you the lazy blogger version:

-Daisuke Matsuzaka gave up three runs in four innings before leaving the game with what appeared to be a side or back strain prior to the 5th

-Julio Lugo got the hook from third base umpire Angel Hernandez after apparently arguing a check swing non-call on Raul Ibanez in the 5th, and after a heated on field exchange Francona joined his shortstop in the clubhouse

-Manny Ramirez tied the game in the 6th after an error by SS Yunieski Betancourt and a walk to David Ortiz; it was his 499th career home run and first in 12 games

-after scoreless efforts from David Aardsma, Manny Delcarmen (!) and Hideki Okajima, acting manager Brad Mills went with Timlin over Papelbon in the 9th. Timlin proceeded to allow a leadoff single to someone named Wladimir Balentien, and after a pair of ground outs, he intentionally walked Ichiro before allowing the game-losing single to Jose Lopez.

And there you have it in a nutshell. It was an awful night and a depressing finish against an awful team the Sox should have beaten. And with that I'm gonna finish my 7 olive martini and hit the hay.

More in the A.M.