Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Toil Under the Sun

Games 110 through 113 – Red Sox

Red Sox 2, A’s 1 (12)
Red Sox 12, A’s 2
Red Sox 5, A’s 2
Royals 4, Red Sox 1
Record: 64-49


I’d claim winning streak privilege for my semi-extended hiatus, but that would be lying, and I’d never lie to you. At least not about anything important. Mostly, I’ve been traveling. And lazy. And like the Red Sox, exhaling after the overlong Manny contretemps finally reached its moderately satisfying conclusion.

I think this Jason Bay kid may have a future in the bigs. Sox fans certainly embraced him with open arms after he scored the team’s only runs in his first game, tripling in the 12th before scoring the game-winner on Jed Lowrie’s infield gork. As an encore, Bay hit a 3-run homer in his first at-bat on Saturday before cracking 2 singles in 4 at-bats on Sunday as the Sox swept the A’s (and the metaphorical Mannywebs out of the clubhouse).

Bay joined his teammates in coming back to earth last night, going 1 for 5 – though he did come up with a 9th-inning RBI before Sean Casey lined out with the bases loaded. I hate to make excuses, but a letdown game was bound to happen. Clay Buchholz was…okay. I guess. As the rocket surgeons on Baseball Tonight correctly pointed out (alert the Blind Squirrel Nut-Finding Metaphor Team), Buchholz just plain lacks confidence right now. He’s as uncomfortable on the mound as the Olympic marathoners will be running 26 miles in Beijing’s smogsoup air. Not the young righthander’s fault, though, that the Sox could only plate a single run over the game’s final 8 innings.

We’re nearing Down the Stretch TimeTM, with fewer than 1/3 of the season remaining. The Sox lead the AL Wild Card standings by 1 1/2 games over Minnesota, and in the post-Manny era, the Sox’ margin for error seems razor-thin, at least to this irrational observer. Nick made a great, if under-recognized point a few days ago – the MLC team is buckling up for what stands to be a white-knuckle 2 month ride. Shame we don’t know any Rays and Marlins fans.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Quick editorial note, the Sox game was 4-3. I am actually pleased with the way the home town team is positioned. Hopefully they pull it together the rest of this road trip. They have what should be the easiest September schedule of the East teams. In Bay we trust.

rob said...

i only count runs driven in or scored by bay.