Timlin Loses Another One - Jenn

It was another roller coaster for the Sox. But after 11 hard fought innings, the Sox would end up losing their third in a row.

Wakefield was all over the place last night. Yes, his knuckler was dancing, but it was dancing a little too much. Over the six innings, Wakefield gave up six hits, five walks, and four runs (three of which were earned). He threw 113 pitches, 1 of which was wild and another that hit Evan Longoria who happens to be the league leader in being hit by pitches. (Last night was his fourth of the season.)

But those four runs weren't enough to make Wakefield the losing pitcher. Over those same six innings the Sox had managed to get to Rays pitchers, Matt Garza and JP Howell, and score four runs of their own. Three of them came in the second when Garza walked JD Drew and Sean Casey to load the bases with just one out. Then Garza walked in the Sox's first run when he walked his third straight batter in Julio Lugo. There was still only one out when Cash came to the plate, with the bases still loaded. He flew out to left, but the ball was deep enough to score Drew on the sacrifice. Ellsbury's liner down the 3rd base line would drive in the Sox's final run of the inning in Sean Casey. However Casey would pull his right hip flexer coming around 3rd and be out for the rest of the game. (He's currently listed as day to day.) With Lugo and Ellsbury on first and second, Pedroia would pop out to foul territory and end the inning.

So the score was tied at 4 at the end of six innings and would stay that way through the next four. And it wasn't like the Sox didn't have opportunities. Starting with the 9th, the Sox had at least one man on in each inning. In the 9th, Cash got his third hit of the night when he drove the ball down the 3rd base line for a single. Then with one out and one on, Pedroia ground the ball to Rays 2nd baseman, Akinori Iwamura. It should've been a double play, but in an amazing bout of misjudgement, Iwamura threw to first to get Pedroia. He failed. And by the time Eric Hinske threw the ball back to 2nd, Cash was standing safely on the bag. So now the Sox had two on with one in scoring position and one out. With Ortiz and Ramirez coming to the plate, we should be able to score at least one more run, right? Wrong. Big Papi flew out to center in what was a very frustrating night for him. And Manny struck out swinging. So Iwamura's bad decision wouldn't end up hurting the Rays after all.

After Bryan Corey (who was just recalled from Pawtucket) and Javier Lopez got through the bottom of the 9th unscathed, the Sox had another chance that would lead no where. Kevin Youkilis and Jed Lowrie (who took over for Casey after the injury) both walked. Again two men on and only one out. But Julio Lugo chopped the ball right to Shortstop Jason Bartlett for the double play that would end the inning.

Lopez would face two more batters in the bottom of the 10th and succeed in retiring one of them. Then Francona replaced the side arm pitcher with my favorite old timer - Mike Timlin. He managed to get through the rest of the inning without the Rays scoring and I breathed a sigh of relief. Partly because the inning was over and partly because our closer, the great Jonathan Papelbon, was warming up in the bullpen. He'd definitely be in for the 11th even if we didn't get the lead.

So the top of the 11th came and went and just like the previous two innings - two men on with just one out. Only this time one of them was standing on 3rd. Just 90 feet away from home plate and taking the lead. Anything but a strike out and a double play would give the Sox the lead. Unfortunately Big Papi hit the ball right at Hinske for the double play to end the inning.

I'm worried Papi may be slipping back into his slump. He only went 1 for 5 on Thursday (thankfully that one was a two run home run) and last night he went a whopping 0 for 6. And that 0 for 6 was no more upsetting for us than it was for him. I've never seen him so upset. He threw the bat twice and slammed his helmet into its cubby at least once. Something's gotta change, otherwise Papi may end up spending more time on the bench than on the field. He's lucky he wasn't thrown out of the game on at least one of those tossed bats.

So it's now the bottom of the 11th and to my surprised chagrin, Timlin's still on the mound. Well, I thought, maybe they're leaving him out for just one more batter. But no, he was on that mound for three. And that was all the Rays would need. Crawford lined to left and stole 2nd. Then Upton walked. So with two men on and nobody out, now would be the time to pull Timlin and get Papelbon in there, right? He is warmed up after all. But no, Francona chose to leave the man with the highest ERA on the team on the mound. And just as expected, Haynes, who'd come in in the 9th to pinch run for Carlos Pena singled to right and drove in Crawford to win the game 5-4.

Now I know the Sox clubhouse has been hit hard by the flu and injury, but something needs to be done about the relief pitching. This is the third game in a row, where the bullpen has lost a close game for the Sox. Games we were winning when the starting pitcher left the field. Luckily the Yankees lost yesterday as well, so the Sox are still ahead of the evil empire by 2.5 games. But while the Sox were losing the Orioles were winning and are now tied for first. There are two more games against the Devil Rays, here's hoping they're both wins.