Bullpen blows another one as Sox fall from first

Astros 3, Sox 2
WP: Aardsma (2-2)
LP: Brocail (4-3)
SV: Valverde (21)
HRs: BOS-Manny (16), Pedroia (8); HOU-Blum (5)

SUMMARY:
The Sox head to Tampa Bay having fallen out of first place for the first time since June 3rd when Hideki Okajima allowed Mark Loretta to knock in the winning run in the bottom of the eighth as Boston dropped 2 of 3 in its interleague series finale.

#1 STUNNER: Loretta 1-1, GW RBI
Did anyone in the Nation have any doubt that the ex-Sox second baseman was going to drive in the winning run against the artist formerly known as Oki?

Didn't think so.

THE BIGGEST LOSER: Okajima 2/3IP, 1H
Once again the numbers don't tell the story with Oki because he allowed yet another inherited runner to score in this one, making it 10 of his last 11 IRs and 12 of 15 total to cross home plate this season.

RECAP:
Another day, another shitty effort from the Boston bullpen cost the Sox and Josh Beckett a shot at what would have been a hard fought win if not for the maddening enigma that is Hideki Okajima.

How a guy who was so incredibly dominating one season can turn into one of the least reliable relievers in all of baseball the next should be the subject of Stephen King's next baseball-related tale:

The Nation That Hated Hideki.

After battling through stranded baserunners and missed opportunities all day long, Boston finally tied the game at two when Manny Ramirez hit his first home run in 15 games off Oscar Villareal with one out in the seventh inning.

That opposite field shot got Beckett (7IP, 8H, 2ER, 1BB, 4K, HR, 111P) off the hook and set up what could have been a great come-from-behind victory to close out the interleague portion of the 2008 schedule.

Instead the loss left the Sox looking up at the pesky Rays, who have won 11 of their last 15 games as the two teams get set to square off in the Trop tomorrow night.

Maybe Boston will leave Hideki in Houston.

Which brings me to my next point (pardon me while I rant but I, along with the rest of RSN, am a tad ticked off right now) - why did Tito bring in the ticking timebomb that is Oki in the 8th inning of a tie game, something he had been sterring clear of doing ever since Oki's epic meltdown in Baltimore on June 10th?

I realize the bullpen was taxed, with Hansen and Delcarmen having pitched in each of the first two games of the series and Papelbon reportedly unavailable due to a cold, but why not stick with the flamethrower Aardsma after he allowed a one out single to Miguel Tejada?

Just like the night before Aardsma, who has been Boston's most consistent reliever for the better part of this season, would have been a better candidate to get out of his own jam than the unpredictable trio of Hansen, Delcarmen and Okajima.

Plus Francona had been remiss to bring Oki in at all whenever there were runners on base due to his inordinately high percentage of allowing inherited runners to score.

But for some reason Tito went against the percentages and probabaly against his own gut instinct and brought Oki in in a situation where he had made a name for himself last season, and the Japanese lefty failed worse than a college sophomore taking his finals the day after an all-night kegger.

Aside from the beleaguered bullpen this game was a stark contrast from last night's wild and wooly affair as runs were at a premium this afternoon following the run-a-minute pace of that game.

Boston left the bases loaded in the first inning when Houston starter Brian Moehler (5.2IP, 7H, 1ER, 3BB, 5K, HR, 111P) allowed a one out single to scorching hot Dustin Pedroia and walks to J.D. Drew and Mike Lowell.

But Moehler worked out of the jam by retiring Youk on a grounder to end the inning, setting the tone for the game in which Boston left 13 runners on base.

The 'Stros got on the board first when light-hitting second baseman Geoff Blum took Beckett deep for his fifth homer of the year and fourth hit in nine career at bats against the Sox righthander.

But Boston wasted no time in tying it up when Pedroia (2-5, R, BI) blasted his 8th homer of the season to left to lead off the third inning. It was Pedroia's 8th hit in 10 at bats in the series and he has now hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games at a .510 (25-49) clip.

As Dan Patrick used to say, he's en fuego.

The game remained tied at one as both pitchers worked in and out of mini-jams for the next couple of innings until Houston re-took the lead in the bottom of the fifth, and the rally began when Beckett comitted the cardinal sin of National league baseball: he walked the opposing pitcher.

(note: Someone needs to tell these Sox hurlers that the opposing pitcher is supposed to be a rally killer, not starter. On Friday night Daisuke Matsuzaka walked Runelvys Hernandez with one out in the third, last night Jon Lester hit Brandon Backe to ignite a five run rally in the third, and now this.)

After Michael Bourne forced Moehler at second, Hunter Pence beat out an infield single to short (typical Lugo) and then last night's hero, Lance "Big Puma" Berkman laced a single up the middle to plate Bourne with the go-ahead run.

Another bases loaded situation wenbt by the wayside for Boston when Pedroia struck out with the sacks jacked in the top of the sixth, but with Beckett holding the 'Stros at bay the Sox finally came back to tie it when Manny (2-4, R, BI) took Villareal deep to the opposite field with one out in the seventh, and suddenly it was a winnable game again.

But Boston blew another golden oppportunity to take the lead when Villareal followed Manny's longball by allowing a bloop infield single by Lowell and walking Youk and last night's winner Doug Brocail came in to retire Tek and Lugo to end the threat.

Then the bottom fell out in the last half of the eighth when Aardsma (1/3IP, 1H, 1R) allowed a slicing single to Tejada after a lengthy at bat and Francona made the call to the pen for Okajima.

Three pitches in to his outing the reliever bounced a pitch that got by Tek and sent Tejada to second base, and with Oki's confidence at an all time low Houston manager Cecil Cooper sent Loretta, who hit a monster 3-run homer last night, up to bat for Brocail, and the ex-Sox delivered another big hit when he smacked a single into center to easily score Tejada with what turned out to be the game-winning (or losing) run.

Boston made a little noise in the ninth when Manny walked off closer Jose Valverde, but Lowell barely beat out a double play ball at first and then Youk flied out to end it, and the sox had suffered the indignity of losing two of three to a team that had lost 12 of its last 17 games coming into the series.

So it;s off to the Trop to take on the loaded for bear Rays, and with first place on the line and the bad blood still simmering from this month's Raysbrawl affair, tensions should be high and the action should be hot and heavy under the teflon-tarped dome.

Hopefully I'll be there for a couple of the contests to give a first hand account of all the festivities.

And Hopefully Boston will win a couple of the contests, too.

RECORD: 50-34
AL EAST: 1/2 GB
STREAK: L2
LAST 10: 5-5
UP NEXT: Mon @ TB 7:05 Masterson vs. Shields

Read More......

Sox Drawer: Oki not O.K. when it comes to facing B-More

Hideki Okajima's mighty struggles against the Orioles highlight a deeper problem with the second year reliever.

I touched on this in my recap last night and the Globe had a piece on this puzzling situation today, but I think it needs to be explored a bit more thoroughly before we move on to Game 2 of this series.

What in the hell has happened to Hideki Okajima?

When he came to the Sox last year as a free agent from Japan it was more to be a buddy to Daisuke Matsuzaka than a dominant set up man. But a funny thing happened after he gave up a home run to Kansas City's John Buck on his first ever pitch in the major leagues - he went on to become a dominant set up man and an invaluable part of the Sox run to the World Series.

After that inauspicious debut Aki didn't allow another run until nearly two months later, and for the season he would wind up allowing 17 earned runs in 69 innings for a 2.22 ERA, compiling 27 holds and finishing 6th in the 2007 Rookie Of the Year voting.

It was as if the combination of his deceiving delivery and array of off speed pitches lulled the hitters of the league to sleep whenever he pitched.

But in 2008 those hitters have woken up.

Especially the Baltimore Oriole batters.

After last night's meltdown against the Birds Oki's ERA climbed from 1.95 to 2.89, but that leap isn't nearly as discomforting as his ghastly propensity for allowing inherited runners to score.

As the Globe article pointed out, but anyone following the team knows, Oki has allowed 11 of 14 inherited runners to score, and that alarming stat, more that ERA, is as telling a figure as any to the effectiveness of a middle reliever/set up man.

And no team has done more to damage Oki's effectiveness this season than Baltimore.

In five appearances against the Birds this season Oki has allowed 9 hits, 3 walks and 8 earned runs in 5 1/3 innings pitched. Those numbers equate to a 13.50 ERA and a 6.60 WHIP, with the Baltimore hitters batting a robust .375 off the embattled lefty.

The one thing those starts don't take into account is the game-losing grand slam he allowed to Jay Payton at Camden Yards on May 14th, as only one of those runs was charged to him.

All of this turmoil has led to Hideki owning the most blown saves in the major leagues with 6, and while he still has 12 holds, good for 3rd in the AL, his penchant for allowing other people's runs to score and his inability to retire anyone in the Baltimore lineup is adding up to a very disappointing sophomore season.

Although his stuff still seems the same he hasn't been able to consistently throw strikes, and last night he threw a lot more curveballs than anything else, which led to his downfall. It seems to me that right now his problems are more mental than physical, but we know how one thing feeds the other until a situation gets out of hand.

As I said last night I'm sure that if the situation warrants it Tito will toss him right in there again tonight, or tomorrow, just so the guy can get his confidence back and get back to being an integral part of this bullpen.

But if he can't straighten things out against the Baltimores of the league, it's only a matter of time before other, quality teams start hammering him too.

Get well soon,Oki. We need ya.

Read More......

Oki blows another game against Baltimore as Sox lose at home

Orioles 10, Sox 6
WP: Sarfate (4-1)
LP: Okajima (1-2)
SV: None
HRs: BOS- Drew (9), Manny (15); BAL-None

SUMMARY:
Despite back-to-back home runs by the team's two hottest hitters and a gritty effort from Josh Beckett Boston dropped its second straight game to Baltimore when Hideki Okajima allowed three runs in the 7th inning, leading to the Sox sixth home loss of the year.

#1 STUNNER: Audrey Huff 4-5, 1R, 2BI
The guy may be an aggravating, arrogant, overrated and overpaid douchebag but he was the difference tonight as it was his 7th inning single that drove in two runs to tie the game and propel the O's to the win.

THE BIGGEST LOSER: Okajima 1/3IP, 2H, 3ER, 2BB, 1K, 26P
In his last two outings against the Birds Oki has allowed 6 hits, 3 walks and 7 earned runs in one full inning of work for an ERA of 63.00 and a WHIP of 9.00. Wow.

RECAP:
Maybe it's these damn 6:00 starts that are throwing everything out of whack for the Sox.

Last time it happened a benches-clearing brawl erupted, resulting in the suspension of eight players, and a couple of Boston teammates got into a slap fight on the bench.

Tonight the Sox and O's played "I want the lead, no you take it" for six innings before Baltimore pulled away for good with a pair of three run innings late.

The funniest thing, and by funny I mean absolutely asinine, is that the start times have been moved up an hour to accommodate Celtics fans who don't want to miss any of the NBA Finals games, yet the two six o'clock contests have had run times of 3 hours, 40 minutes and 3 hours, 27 minutes.

So much for that theory.

After the debacle of the first game and the meltdown of the second I say to hell with this experiment. Start the games at the normal time and just put the Sox on the PIP until its over.

And if a brawl breaks out flip it back, or if a Boston reliever melts down flick it off.

Things started out bad for Boston tonight, got worse, then cleared up for a while before a black cloud covered the park in the form of another blown save for Hideki Okajima.

To make matters worse the Celts tantalized us with a potential upset win in Game 4, only to have King Kobe and Co. hag on for a series-saving win.

Talk about a double whammy of doom.

The way the game started it looked like the Sox would cruise to another easy home win. Boston loaded the bases in the first inning before Daniel Cabrera had recorded an out on a single by Jacoby Ellsbury, a double by Dustin Pedroia and a walk to red-hot J.D. Drew.

But Cabrera (5IP, 7H, 6ER, 4BB, 3K, 2HR, 94P) escaped a potential devastating inning when he got Manny Ramirez to ground into a double play, and even though Ellsbury came in to score the damage could have - and should have - been much worse.

The missed opportunity came back to bite Boston in the ass shortly thereafter when Josh Beckett (6IP, 8H, 4ER, 1BB, 3K, 114P) gave up a four-spot to the Birds in the second inning.

After retiring Audrey Huff for the first out (and the only time on the night) Becks allowed a Monster double to original idiot Kevin Millah and then walked new nemesis Luke Scott.

As if that weren't bad enough Beckett then plunked .200-hitting catcher Ramon Hernandez (1-4, R, 2BI) to load the bases, but it appeared he would escape the inning unscathed when he got Adam Jones, the hero of Baltimore's last win over Boston, to pop out to first for the second out of the inning.

Ah, no.

Fellow Mendoza dweller Freddie Bynum promptly stroked an 0-1 offering from Beckett
off the Monster for a shocking 2-out, 2-run double, but unfortunately the hurt didn't end there. Five pitches later Brian Roberts launched another Wall-scraper to score Hernandez and Bynum, and Baltimore had a 4-1 lead on three doubles, a walk and a HBP.

Ugh.

The bottom of the second was eerily similar to the first as Boston got the first two batters on base before a double play killed what could have been a potential rally, but things turned around in the third when the Sox plated a pair of runs to climb right back in it.

Pedroia (2-3, 2R, HBP), who had been mired in a horrid 4-37 slump, started it off with a single to left for his second hit in two at bats, and after Cabrera wild pitched him to second JD drew his second walk of the game. After a single to center by Manny loaded the bases RBI groundouts by Mike Lowell and Kevin Youkilis cut the Orioles lead to 4-3.

Then the fireworks came in the fifth inning.

Once again Pedroia started the rally when Cabrera hit him with a pitch on the elbow on a 3-2 count, and on the very next pitch Drew (1-2, 2R, 2BI, 2BB) exacted some payback for his teammate when he crushed a fastball over the bullpens for a 2-run homer that gave the Sox a 5-4 lead.

Before the celebrating over Drew's 5th homer in his last nine games had ended Manny Ramirez, who clubbed three longballs in three games against the O's in Baltimore last series, obliterated a another fastball from Cabrera for home run #15 on the season and 505 of his career, and just like that Boston had a 6-4 lead despite Beckett's troubles and their own missed chances.

Ironically, on a night when Manny was honored for joining the 500 club by guys such as Eddie Murray, who joined Rem Dog and Don O in the booth in the previous inning, Manny passed the former Oriole great on the all-time home run list.

Pretty cool.

Unfortunately that would be the end of the good times for Boston; Beckett tossed one more inning before he was replaced in the 7th by Okajima after throwing 113 pitches on the night.

And it quickly became hide the women and children time.

A one-out walk by Roberts (1-4, 1R, 2BI) seemed harmless enough at the time, but that was followed by another Wall double, this time by Nick Markakis, and when Melvin Mora walked on a 3-1 count to load the bases it was lump in the throat time for the Faithful.

The lump came up when Huff slapped a single into right to score Roberts and Markakis and tie the game at six, and then the horrible horrible sense of deja vu was complete going back to the last time Oki pitched against the Os.

And we all remember that game.

Manny Delcarmen came in to relive a discouraged Oki and immediately allowed a sac fly to Millar (1-4, R, BI) to give Baltimore the lead back aat 7-6, and even though Manny D got out of the inning the damage was done, both to the score and Oki's psyche.

My question is why bring him in in the 7th when that inning has been the domain of Lopez, Delcarmen and Hansen in the first place, something I'm sure Tito will be second-guessed about for a few days to come?

Boston had a chance to tie the game up in the 8th but yet another double play quelled that chance, and then Hansen crushed all hopes of a comeback when he allowed three runs in the 9th, although an error by Pedroia on a potential double play grounder was a key factor in the late uprising.

No matter because this one was lost as soon as Oki stepped on the field, and my guess is Tito will throw him right back out there tomorrow so so he can get this orange and black monkey off his back.

Thank god there's no Celtics game tomorrow.

RECORD: 40-27
AL EAST: Up 1 gm
STREAK: L1
LAST 10: 7-3
UP NEXT: Wed vs. BAL 7:05 Olson vs. Colon

Read More......

Porous pen brings Sox streak to an end

Toronto 6, Sox 4
WP: Accardo (4-3)
LP: Okajima (3-2)
HRs: BOS-Varitek (13); TOR- Wells (16), Glaus (20)

SUMMARY
The Sox supplied starter Curt Schilling with two leads tonight but the bullpen could not close the deal. Manny Delcarmen allowed a solo shot to Troy Glaus to tie the game in the 8th, and Hideki Okajima gave up a 2-run shot to Vernon Wells in the 9th that brought Boston's 4-game winning streak to an abrupt halt.

#1 STUNNER Wells 3-5, 2R, 2BI
Wells came into the game on an 0-12 skid, went 0-2 in his first two ABs, then ripped off three straight hits including the game winner, a deep drive to straightaway center that got out of the park in a hurry and left the Faithful in stunned silence.

PAN's FAUN (s) Oki & Manny D 2IP, 3H, 3ER, 2K, 2HR
When your veteran starter gives you a quality start and your offense scratches & claws to retake the lead, you would think the artists formerly known as the best bully in baseball could close the game out, right? Right!?

RECAP
Ah, we shoulda seen this one coming.

The Red Sox playoff wagon was starting to ramp up to ridiculous speed following four wins that featured a no-hitter, an explosion of offense, the rise of a new young superstar outfielder and three consecutive appearances (and saves) from the closer for the first time all season.

So anyone wearing a scruffy old Sox hat made in the previous century should have known that the good times would end sooner rather than later, and when the fun finally did end, things could get sideways in a hurry.

And boy did things get out of hand fast.

The third straight quality start for Curt Schilling ended with a no decision beacuse when he exited the contest after six innings two of Boston's top two relievers could not get the outs that were necessary to secure the game and Schill's 9th win.

That's coachspeak for Delcarmen & Okajima sucked ass.

Boston jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning on another fielder's choice groundout that could have been a double play, exactly how yesterday's first run scored, but Schill (6IP, 8H, 3ER, BB, 2K) gave that up and more when he surrendered three runs after two were out in the top of the fifth.

After issuing a one-out walk to Greg Zaun Schill retired John MacDonald on a pop out, apparently ending any Toronto rally.

But the Jays batters, led by Wells' first hit in 14 at bats, then stroked four consecutive singles, the last three each driving in one run as Schilling could not stop the station-to-station bleeding.

Finally Curt got Troy Glaus to line out to Jacoby Ellsbury in left, but the 1-0 lead, along with all the good Fenway vibrations, had disappeared in a matter of minutes.

Still, it was early, and when Boston loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning on a walk to Tek, a beautiful bunt single by Coco and, after a failed bunt/strikeout by Alex Cora, a single by Julio Lugo, it looked like they would get right back in the game.

Well, not quite.

Ellsbury did manage to get his bat on a low sinker from starter Shawn Marcum (5IP, 5H, 2ER, 3BB, 2K) and drive it deep enough into center firled to score Tek with the Sox second run, but when Big Papi fouled out on a nice play by Glaus at third, the potential big inning was reduced to a single run.

Then for some reason the insane Jays manager John Gibbons (it fucking amazes me this dickwad still has an MLB head coaching job) decided to remove Marcum, his hottest pitcher and winner of seven of his last eight decisions, and the Sox batters wasted no time teeing off on reliever Brian Wolfe.

Wolfe got the first two outs of the sixth and then much like Schill he fell apart a bit when he was on the doorstep of getting out of the frame.

The first mistake came when he nailed Youk with a pitch which not only opened up a pretty good gash on his right forearm but also put the tying run on base, but he followed that bit of stupidity by practically placing a fastball on a tee for Captain Tek, who proceeded to hammer the generous offering into the bleachers in right to put the Sox ahead again, 4-3.

With Schill done for the night, all the pen had to do was get nine outs and this one was in the bag.

Turned out to be easier said than done.

September callup and 2006 coffee drinker Bryan Corey came on first and although he did allow a single by Wells to lead off the inning, he got a ground ball by Matt Stairs that Cora turned into a slick double play, and then he got Alex Rios to ground out to end the inning.

Six more outs to go.

But Boston blew its chance to break the game wide open when another bases loaded situation ended without a run crossing home plate in the seventh.

Gibby used three relievers in this inning and they all allowed baserunners, but after Casey Janssen walked Lowell to pack the sacks he struck out J.D. "Boo!" (it's official now) and Youk to escape the jam unscathed.

You know what happened next.

Delcarmen came on for the 8th and gave up a towering, slicing drive to Glaus that just stayed fair but left the building entirely, and just like that everyone knew this game was going to spell the end of the winning streak, and temporarily, the good times on Yawkey Way.

That suspicion was quickly confirmed when Okajima took the mound in the 9th, promptly hit Zaun with a pitch, and then gave up a heatseeking missile to Wells that soared above the tall center field wall and officially put an end to the feel-good mini-streak.

Now it's off to B-More, a team falling apart faster than Senator Craig but one that has been a pain in Boston's side all season.

At least Papelbon should be ready to go again.

Read More......

Birds beat up baseball's best bullpen

Baltimore 6, Sox 5
WP: Hoey (1-0)
LP: Okajima (3-1)
HRs: None

SUMMARY
A beautiful pitcher's duel ended in a wild way as Boston scored five runs in the 8th to take a 5-1 lead, but Baltimore bounced back with 4 runs in the bottom of the inning against Eric Gag-me, then scratched the winning run off Hideki Okajima in the bottom of the 9th to stun the Sox.

#1 STUNNER Brian Roberts 2-4, 2B, R
The pesky second sacker has been a thorn in Boston's side this season, none more so than when he led off the 9th with a double and came around to score the winning run on a sac fly

PAN's FAUN Gagne 1/3IP, 3H, 4ER, BB
To say the trade for the former Cy Young winner has been a disaster would be an understatement. Not only is the bullpen NOT better with him as the setup man, it has become decidedly worse, screwing with Oki's psyche and altering what had been the perfect 1-2 late inning punch.

RECAP
You know what they say, payback's a bitch.

Nearly 3 months to the day after the Sox laid one of the most embarrassing losses in Baltimore history, known as the Mother's Day Miracle, on the Orioles, the Birds returned the favor with a stunning late comeback that snatched a victory out of the jaws of defeat.

The fact that they accomplished the feat against the best bullpen in baseball made the loss sting that much more.

While I was at Raymond James Stadium witnessing a brief cameo by Tommy B. and very few recognizable Patriots in a 13-10 preseason loss to the Bucs, the Sox were engaged in an expected pitchers duel for eight innings before an Arena Football-esque scoring binge broke out in the final two frames.

The Pats could have used some of that firepower.

After I got home and shed my sweat-soaked Brady jersey, I plopped down on the couch and fired up the DVR and for seven innings I was treated to exactly what I had expected would take place with two of the AL's best hurlers on the mound.

Daisuke Matsuzaka (7IP, 4H, 1ER, 4BB, 7K) gave up one run in the first inning after Corey Patterson walked, stole second, then came around to score on a single by Miguel Tejada.

That would be the only blemish on the rocking rookie righthander, who has allowed just 5 earned runs with 28 strikeouts in his last 27.1 innings for a scintillating 1.65 ERA over that period.

Although Dice would get into a few jams over the course of his outing, including 2 men on situations in the 2nd & 5th innings, he had control of his pitches and was able to work his way out of any jam he created.

Meanwhile Baltimore starter Eric Bedard, who has been the AL's hottest hurler while ripping off an 8-0 streak since early June, held onto that 1-run lead like it was a historic home run ball, allowing just 3 baserunners in the first seven innings, and using a pair of double plays to escape any potential damage.

Then came the 8th inning.

Bedard (7.2IP, 4H, 3ER, 2BB, 7K) began the frame by fanning Kevin Youkilis but followed with a walk to Mike Lowell, and the wheels proceeded to fall off from there.

Captain Tek singled sharply to left to get runners at first and second with one out, but when Coco's grounder to short forced Lowell at third for the second out, it looked as if Bedard and the Birds would escape the inning unscathed.

Not quite.

Whiffy Mo Painful, who earlier this week expressed his desire to be traded, hit a slow rolling single to left center that scored Tek with the tying run and chased Bedard from the game.

On came ex-Sox Chad Bradford, and Julio Lugo (2-5, R, BI) promptly greeted him with a sac bunt that eluded all the Baltimore infielders and scored Coco with the go-ahead run, much to the delight of the mass of RSN that had packed Camden Yards.

After Dustin Pedroia reached on an infield single to load the bases, Bradford was relieved by Jamie Walker, and Big Papi jumped on Walker's first offering an lined a single past the shift in right to score two more runs, and suddenly Boston enjoyed a 4-1 lead in a game that looked like 1 or 2 runs would be enough to win.

So when Manny stroked a single to left two pitches later to score Pedroia with Boston's 5th run, and the Boston bullpen troika of Gagne-Oki-Paps chomping at the bit to get into the game, it looked like this one was all but over.

Not so fast, Sox fans.

Reliever Jim Hoey (who?!) came in to retire Youk on a fly to center, and then Boston trotted out struggling setup man Gagne for the bottom of the frame.

That's when things really got ugly, and I'm not just talking about the Seth Rogen lookalike's mug.

Patterson (1-2, 2R) got the rally started with a double to deep right on Gagne's second pitch, then came around to score on a single by Nick Markakis to slice the lead to 5-2. No biggie, right?

Wrong.

After walking Tejada and inducing idiot Millar to tap back to the mound, former D-ray Audrey Huff roped a double to the wall in right to plate two more runs, and after Okajima relieved Gagne, Melvin Mora lined a single to left to score pinch runner Brandon Fahey, and just like that the game was tied.

Wow.

As if that turn of events wasn't bad enough, what happened in the next inning was enough for the visiting chowderheads to spit out their crab cakes in disgust.

Boston managed to get two men on in the top of the 9th against Hoey but failed to get one home, and then in the bottom of the inning the end came as quickly as a mid summer thunderstorm.

Brian Roberts, who has torched Boston to the tune of a .316 average (12-38) with 6 doubles, a homer and 7 runs scored this season, drilled a ground rule double to deep center to lead off the frame, then was sacrificed over to third one pitch later by Patterson.

On Oki's very next pitch Markakis lofted a ball to shallow center, and with Coco Crisp possessing the arm of a 12-year-old girl, every Boston fan in the building knew the game was over right there.

Sure enough Roberts scampered home with the winning run, touching off a celebration that had a certain "in your face" quality to it, and the Birds had given the Bosox a taste of their own comeback medicine and sent the thousands of Nation members home with a disgusting feeling in their guts.

Maybe it was from the crab cakes.

Now the Sox will have to shake off the loss and get ready for today's nationally televised game on FOX at 4:00, and luckily for us we have AL co-winds leader Josh Beckett on the hill against rookie callup Garrett Olson.

Which should spell a Boston win.

As long as Beckett pitches a complete game.

Read More......