We're losing how...and to whom???

Clearly I can't take a week off from blogging...I was so enraged after the Tiger loss where we battled and battled only to lose on some crap luck from the baseball gods, that I figured I'd take a day or two off...bad idea apparently...we've played 7 games since that junk fest and we're 2-5...we lost 3 of 4 to the everything challenged Twins and then 2 straight to the Orioles...I'm not even sure what division they're in...what...AL East you say??? Prove it...

Sad part is we're losing with our strengths...things the Sox don't usually do to lose, we're doing...ugggggly...here's the quick recap of the past week or so to get that out ot the way...

Final game of of the Tigers series was a nice bounce back after the crap fest...Beckett was in control all game after a 3 run lead was given to him early (Tek with a big single and Youk added a dinger later)...the Tigers managed 1 run in 7 innings off of the ace, the pen work was solid from Hansen and Delcarmen (for a change...probably a sign that the world was about to shift) and that was that...we took 3 of 4 from the Tigers and they got lucky not to be swept...feeling pretty good waking up May 9th...but we're heading to Minny, which isn't traditionally a kind place for us...

And game 1 of that series reminded us of that very fact...Lester got the start and was pretty typical...5 runs, 3 earned, surrendered over 5.1 long innings (94 pitches) but hey, we're leading when he leaves, 6-5...Aaaaaardsma and Oki got their holds, but Pap, in his first action since the Tiger debacle, clearly wasn't himself...2 hits a walk and 2 runs later the Twins walked off with a win...and friggin Mike Lamb did it...are you serious??? Mike Lamb walked off on Pap (ok, it was a single, but still)...Pap actually didn't pitch too bad, just missed a couple of spots and got some good pitches hit, at least they were more solid than last time out, but still, not vintage Pap...hopefully he's watched the tape and made some adjustments...

Game 2 of the Twins series we'll call "The good one." Dice K was pretty strong...2 runs over 7, allowed 3 BB but struck out 7 and was in command all game...good outing...solo HRs were the offensive order of the day, with 4 ordered and served...Youk (EN FUEGO in case you haven't noticed) Coco (welcome back), Lowrie and Mikey Lowell hitting them out...tacked on the insurance run in the 9th, a nice little 5-2 win with Pap coming right back to get the S...2 Kk in his inning, it's really not hard to spot when he's on...if they're swining and missing, he's on...

Game 3 was the long overdue Shaky Wake game...shaky to the tune of 7 runs, 6 earned, in 2.2 innings...OUCH...they were just all over the knuckler, which usually moves in a dome, but not that day...this one ended 9-8 thanks to us getting to Joe Nathan in the 9th...nice that we battled back and if not for a crazy play in the 9th we might have completed the comeback...Papi led the inning off with an out, but then the bats got going...singles for Youk and Lowell put men on 1st and 2nd with JD Drew up...now, we all know that last year that was game over right there, but the 2008 even year JD Drew ripped a double to center that Gomez couldn't play and Youk came around to score, Lowell making it to 3rd...Coco was next up, and he's been hot since returning, including a 2-run bomb earlier in this game...so I'm actually feeling pretty good at this point...2nd and 3rd, down 2, one out with Coco up there...to add a little intrigue, Manny, who didn't play in this one earlier thanks to a sore hammy, was out on deck to pinch hit...but, back to Coco and the crazy play...Coco rips a shot towards the hole up the middle but Nathan somehow gets a hand on it, knocking it up in the air and towards the 3rd base side of the mound...Lowell is running all the way so he scores easily, but the deflection by Nathan causes Drew to pause between 2nd and 3rd...after the pause he takes off for 3rd, but Nathan sees this, recovers the ball and throws him out while twisting/falling/tossing...I dunno...can't blame Drew much, great play by Nathan, and a killer...now it's Coco on first, Manny up with 2 out as opposes to 2 on 1 out...Coco steals the bag to get to and and Manny hits it hard, but his hard luck against Nathan continues (0-7 I think) as the SS gobbles it up and ends the game...UNREAL...the other night Pap does everything right and loses a game, tonight Nathan does almost everything wrong and gets a save...really makes you wonder if they need to change the definition of save...not that it's ever been good, but how this all makes sense I don't know...there should be style points or something, cause neither of those results is fair...

Final game of the series was no mystery...Manny hit number 498 for the only highlight and Buchholz just sucked...he's GOT to stop throwing that curve so much...yeah, it's an awsome pitch, but only if you have the fastball working to make it more effective...if they're expecting it then it's just not that good no matter how much break it has...these guys are good enough to hit slow pitches when they know they're coming...7 runs allowed in 4.1 and Livan "Junkball" Hernandez threw enough garbage to only allow 3 runs, so that's easy math...7-3 Sox lose...awful series, but we always suck in Minny and you have to be happy that the next two are against the Orioles, right???

Nope, can't be happy about that...mini-sweep by Baltimore...I don't want to talk about these in detail because I'm ashamed...Beckett was off in the first one allowing the Os 5 runs and the bats couldn't get the clutch hit late, 5-4 was the final yesterday...today, we (being Tito) left the pen in too long and brought in Oki with the bases loaded in the 7th to try to get Sox killer Jay Payton...I think he still holds a grudge from when we had him and didn't let him play every day, since he's left he HURTS us...and he did again, touching Oki for a GS to give the Os a 6-3 lead they wouldn't relenquish...

Tomorrow is an off day, and hopefully a recoup day...a couple of the boys are dinged up (Crisp out with a stomach and Drew with lord knows what) so we need the day and interleague is starting up...hopefully the NL, me back in the blogosphere and the off day set things straight and we knock Jeff Suppan (who still pitches, giving you an idea of just how bad the NL can be) all over Fenway...

Celtics are on right now, and have finally showed a pulse to take the lead in this crucial game 5...since we can only win at home it seems, this is a MUST win for the Cs...nice to see them face a little adversity (down early by 13) and not let it kill them...a little over a quarter to go, HOLD THAT LEAD!!!

GO SAWX!!!