Tom Caron just said that a little while ago on the Carlson and Mackenzie show. He couldn’t be more right. Although last night’s game was long, frustrating, and exhausting, now things are getting exciting. We’re one game away from advancing, yet this isn’t something we can take for granted. And to be quite honest, we should have had last night’s game. So now I’m writing at 8:00am, a little more tired than I would have liked to be. A five hour game is something we usually don’t see unless we’re playing the Yankees in the Championship Series (yeah that made me laugh a little too). And with all that being said, I'm a little frustrated after last night.
First off, I don’t know if Beckett isn’t healthy or just had too much time off, but he didn’t look good at all last night. He probably shouldn’t have pitched past the third inning last night. He never really looked good, and every time it looked like he was getting into a groove, he’d give up a base hit or a home run. If Beckett ends up getting another start, Red Sox Nation won’t exactly be breathing sighs of relief.
Second, the Red Sox simple weren’t hitting last night. When you loose a game by a run and are outhit 16-7, there’s a problem. Part of that problem is Dustin Pedroia, who freely admitted after last night’s game that he was at fault – as a matter of fact, he put the whole thing on himself. “I’ve got to help the team win, and I didn’t. I blame this one on me,” Pedroia complained to mlb.com. But I don’t blame it all on him. When the bases are loaded and you have the winning run 90 feet away, that’s frustrating. Did anyone else get annoyed by K-Rod getting pumped up after he got out of a jam? Maybe I was just too aggravated, but I felt like saying to him “Hey Buddy, you nearly blew your season. What are you so happy about?”
And how about Jacoby Ellsbury getting called out on strikes? Strike three was no where near the plate. I give Ellsbury all the credit in the world for keeping his cool in that situation. Sure, bad calls are part of the game, but that one was a little much.
Finally, why was Lopez pitching in the 12th? I would have rather seen Paul Byrd…or anyone else for that matter. I have never been a fan of Lopez because he hasn’t proven himself. Although I understand his role with the Red Sox, being the 12th inning reliever isn’t part of it.
Alright Red Sox Nation, as frustrating as this is, we’re still up by a game. Let’s get a win tonight so we don’t have to go back to Anaheim with their stupid monkeys and toys.
Keep the Faith.
Post game notes:
-Sean Casey: Is he ever going to play? I would have rather seen him pinch hit for Kotsay. Hitting over .300 in 200 at bats isn’t an easy thing to do. Get him in a game, Tito!
