http://www.telegram.com/article/20110827/NEWS/110829728/-1/NEWS07
Saturday, August 27, 2011
No explaining Red Sox pitching problems
ATHLETICS 15, RED SOX 5
By Bill Ballou TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
wballou@telegram.com
BOSTON — If it made sense, it would not be baseball.
What other way is there to look at the events of the last couple of days in the American League?
On one hand, you have the Red Sox shutting down the potent Rangers attack on three measly hits in a 6-0 victory on Thursday night. On the other one, you have them getting annihilated by the weak-hitting Athletics here last night, 15-5.
It was the same Oakland team that lost at New York on Thursday, 22-9, and the same Yankees team that was crushed by the last-place Orioles last night, 12-5.
So, in losing this one, the Red Sox did not lose any ground in the AL East title race. They maintain a one-game lead over New York. The biggest letdown was that Tim Wakefield failed again in his bid for career win 200, and did it in front of home fans.
Wakefield has failed in six tries to get win No. 200, going 0-3 in the process. It is his longest winless streak as a starter since 2004 when he was also 0-3 in six starts dating from May 29 to June 30.
Wakefield has had some misfortune in his attempt to reach 200 wins, but there was not much unfortunate about last night's struggle even though four of the eight Oakland runs he allowed were unearned.
“I think any pitcher this time of the year could use a break,” manager Terry Francona said when asked if he thought Wakefield was worn out. “No — he's worked hard to be able to get to this point in the season. I think he's OK.”
With the exception of reliever Scott Atchison, it was not a good night for Red Sox pitching in general. The Athletics had 16 hits, including eight doubles and two home runs.
Matt Albers gave up four runs in one inning, and Darnell McDonald, pressed into emergency service, allowed a pair of runs in the ninth.
Atchison worked the fifth through the seventh innings and allowed only one run.
“He was actually able to give us a chance,” Francona said, “where we were one hit away from getting back into it.”
At one point, Oakland had an 8-1 lead. Wakefield gave up a pair of two-run homers in the fourth, one to Scott Sizemore and one to Josh Willingham, as part of a six-run rally. Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz hit back-to-back home runs in the fourth, and Jacoby Ellsbury's leadoff triple in the fifth turned into a run, so Boston made it an 8-4 game.
The Sox squandered great chances in the sixth and seventh, though, and it was 9-4 going into the eighth.
Francona called for Albers, and he was one out away from working a scoreless inning, then wound up surrendering four runs.
Albers has become useless and looks like he needs to be shut down for a while. In July, he did not allow an earned run in 13-1/3 innings, and when the month ended, his ERA was 2.09. In August, Albers has given up 16 earned runs in 11 innings for a 13.09 ERA, upping his season mark to 4.33.
“His velocity is fine,” Francona said. “He's not tired. He's just going through a rut like some guys do.”
It's a rut that's coincidental with the one Wakefield is in. A couple of times in his quest for 200, the bullpen was to blame for him not getting there. That wasn't the case last night. It was more like a plain, old case of baseball not making a lot of sense sometimes.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
No explaining Red Sox pitching problems
ATHLETICS 15, RED SOX 5
By Bill Ballou TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
wballou@telegram.com
BOSTON — If it made sense, it would not be baseball.
What other way is there to look at the events of the last couple of days in the American League?
On one hand, you have the Red Sox shutting down the potent Rangers attack on three measly hits in a 6-0 victory on Thursday night. On the other one, you have them getting annihilated by the weak-hitting Athletics here last night, 15-5.
It was the same Oakland team that lost at New York on Thursday, 22-9, and the same Yankees team that was crushed by the last-place Orioles last night, 12-5.
So, in losing this one, the Red Sox did not lose any ground in the AL East title race. They maintain a one-game lead over New York. The biggest letdown was that Tim Wakefield failed again in his bid for career win 200, and did it in front of home fans.
Wakefield has failed in six tries to get win No. 200, going 0-3 in the process. It is his longest winless streak as a starter since 2004 when he was also 0-3 in six starts dating from May 29 to June 30.
Wakefield has had some misfortune in his attempt to reach 200 wins, but there was not much unfortunate about last night's struggle even though four of the eight Oakland runs he allowed were unearned.
“I think any pitcher this time of the year could use a break,” manager Terry Francona said when asked if he thought Wakefield was worn out. “No — he's worked hard to be able to get to this point in the season. I think he's OK.”
With the exception of reliever Scott Atchison, it was not a good night for Red Sox pitching in general. The Athletics had 16 hits, including eight doubles and two home runs.
Matt Albers gave up four runs in one inning, and Darnell McDonald, pressed into emergency service, allowed a pair of runs in the ninth.
Atchison worked the fifth through the seventh innings and allowed only one run.
“He was actually able to give us a chance,” Francona said, “where we were one hit away from getting back into it.”
At one point, Oakland had an 8-1 lead. Wakefield gave up a pair of two-run homers in the fourth, one to Scott Sizemore and one to Josh Willingham, as part of a six-run rally. Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz hit back-to-back home runs in the fourth, and Jacoby Ellsbury's leadoff triple in the fifth turned into a run, so Boston made it an 8-4 game.
The Sox squandered great chances in the sixth and seventh, though, and it was 9-4 going into the eighth.
Francona called for Albers, and he was one out away from working a scoreless inning, then wound up surrendering four runs.
Albers has become useless and looks like he needs to be shut down for a while. In July, he did not allow an earned run in 13-1/3 innings, and when the month ended, his ERA was 2.09. In August, Albers has given up 16 earned runs in 11 innings for a 13.09 ERA, upping his season mark to 4.33.
“His velocity is fine,” Francona said. “He's not tired. He's just going through a rut like some guys do.”
It's a rut that's coincidental with the one Wakefield is in. A couple of times in his quest for 200, the bullpen was to blame for him not getting there. That wasn't the case last night. It was more like a plain, old case of baseball not making a lot of sense sometimes.
