Bad Pitching Leads to Red Sox Loss - Jenn

Buchholz only went four innings. Tavarez would only last one. Even Papelbon couldn't get out of the 9th without racking up his first blown save and loss of the season.

God it was awful. Like I said in a previous post, I hate the yo-yo. Every time you're up, within a matter of minutes you're down again. It's torture to watch. And I'm sure even more torturous to be a part of.

Buchholz started his evening strong. He got through the first two innings without a single Tiger scoring. But then in the 3rd things went south. Way south. Buchholz saw nine men come to the plate and six of them got hits. Of those six hits, four men scored. The Sox were able to cut the Tigers lead in half when Youkilis hit a home run to the seats in left, but that didn't matter. Because in the bottom of the 4th Buchholz gave up another three hits and one run making the score 5-2. No wonder he was pulled after just four innings. He may have struck out six, but giving up 10 hits and five runs in just four innings is not how you win a ball game.

Tavarez, or should I say Mr. Hyde, would take over for the fifth inning and proceed to give up another four hits, three of which would turn into runs. Every time a Tiger landed on base was like another twist of the knife. And by the time Tavarez left the game the Tigers were up 8-4.

Aardsma, Lopez, and Okajima would pitch the 6th, 7th, and 8th innings without any further damage allowing the Sox offense to even up the score thanks to Youk's homer in the 6th and Lowell's three-run shot in the 7th. Youkilis' solo-shot was his second of the night and the second time in his career that he's gotten 2 home runs in a single game. The last time it happened was August 8, 2004. Against the Tigers.

The Sox would leave the 9th with a one run lead thanks to a base hit from Dustin Pedroia in the 8th. And Papelbon took the mound. The game was as good as won. But as Dad (and Yogi Berra) always say, it ain't over 'til it's over. Was that ever true last night.

Joyce would start the knife twisting by reaching first on an excuse-me-check-swing that Lugo couldn't get to in time. Then Renteria would reach base thanks to a bobble by the same Sox shortstop. Now Dad calls Lugo sure handed. Sorry Dad, but you're wrong. Last night's bobble marks error number 10 on the season, the most of any Sox player. So there are two men on and nobody out. Of course Rodriguez would bunt to move the players up. Then Granderson, who hadn't gotten a hit all night, grounds out to 2nd, but sends Joyce home and ties the game. Okay so Pap has blown his first save of the season. We could still go into extra innings. Unfortunately Placido Polanco had other ideas. And on a 3-2 pitch from Papelbon, Polanco gets a broken bat blooper to left for his fifth hit of the night. Renteria scores to give the Tigers the walk-off win.

The loss wasn't just painful for Sox fans everywhere, it was painful for Pap too, who could be seen throwing both water coolers after giving up the save and the game. Oh well, at least we're still ahead in the standings and today's a new day and another the game. The final game of the series, actually. And guess who's taking the mound. Josh Beckett. Tonight a new winning streak starts.