Orioles 5
For second night in a row the Red Sox put 3 runs on the board in the first inning and failed to secure the win. After piling up dramatic victory's in April, it's clear that the bucket of magic they were using can't leave Fenway Park. The Sox are now 10-13 on the road and have lost 4 of their last five... the four game set against the Royals at home can't get here soon enough.
The Sox have fallen into a bit of a funk, but it hasn't been due to a lack of offense - just a lack of clutch hitting. They've only been outscored 30 to 26 over the past 5 games, but you can clearly see the moments that would have changed the "L's" into "W's"...Friday vs Twins: The Sox score 4 runs in the 5th to take a 6-5 lead and hold it until the 9th, but Paps allowed a single, a sac, a steal, a walk and an RBI single - and lost the game...
The Sox also stranded 19 runners in that one.
Sunday vs Twins: The Sox fought there way back from a 5-0 hole in the second, to make it 8-6 in the 7th... but Mike Timlin gave up an insurance run to Craig Monroe... Then the Sox rallied back against Joe Nathan, but Coco's RBI grounder cost us a runner at 3rd and Manny's was unsuccessful as a pinch hitter and the winning run...
22 men were left on base.
Monday vs Twins: The Sox got to Hernandez for 3 in the first, but were blanked the rest of the game. They got two, 2-out singles in the 3rd but Tek popped out... they wasted a lead off single from Casey in the 4th... Lowell hit into an inning ending double play in the 5th... Coco popped out with two men on in the 6th... Then, down 7-3 in the 9th, the big guns had a chance to keep hope alive, but both Ortiz and Manny flied out with two men on...
They stranded another 18 base runners throughout the game.
Tuesday vs Orioles: The Sox took another 3-0 lead in the first, but Beckett gave 5 back before ending the 3rd. Fortune finally smiled upon them in the 6th with a based loaded and no outs opportunity, but Manny would do the one thing you can't do in that situation - ground out to the pitcher... Mike Lowell would fly out to end the inning... The Sox had one more rally in them, but after an Alex Cora single, Casey and Pedroia made outs with two men on , and wasted it... It was still just 5-4 in the 9th with the meat of the order due up for the Sox, but Flat Brim Sherrill would go 1-2-3 thanks to a check swing strike out by Big Papi, a long but futile at-bat by Manny and a strike out by Lowell...
Guess what? 19 base runners stranded.
Bottom Line: Fate is not going to be on your side for 162 games. The balance in the force is being fixed right now at the expense of the Red Sox. They are now hitting just .234 as a team with RISP and 2 outs and can;t seem to get the job done when it matters most.
And last night's bases loaded situation really irked me, so I checked and guess what? The Sox are 11 for 30 (.244) this year... they batted .311 and drove in a league best 175 runs with the bases juiced in 2007.
Manny has been the biggest culprit, batting .158 in 19 chances with RISP and 2 outs. Only Ortiz (24, .333) and Pedroia (24, .208) have had more chances... but Mike Lowell has already had 11 tries and is batting just .091 and JD Drew is batting .111 in 18 tries.
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