Shoulda' Saved A Few Runs--Peter

Some of you may have wondered why I didn't say anything about the Sox 18-5 win two nights ago. Well, what can you say that would match what the Sox did? Eighteen runs, 11 of them in the last couple of innings? As the lawyers like to say, Res Ipsa Loquitur--The thing speaks for itself.

But at the time I also thought it was too bad there was no way to take some of the excess runs they scored and save them for the proverbial rainy day--like today against the O's. Buchholz in his first start since returning from Pawtucket wasn't the Oriole nemesis that he'd been in two successive efforts late last year, one his now famous no-hitter.

Tonight, he surrendered four runs in just five innings, giving up five hits and an equal number of walks in that time, a WHIP for the game of 2.0. The six K's he got were overmatched.

For once the initial Sox bullpen staff performed well, surrendering only a single walk between Lopez and Aardsma's two total innings. However, it was too good to last. The hitting that had put them up after four by 3-2, pretty much quieted down, although Manny did go 2-3 on the night. Dusty's hitting streak is now a thing of the past.
At the same time, we get the bullpen, post-Aardsma. The Other Manny--Delcarmen comes in and in just an inning gives up a hit, two walks and a pair of runs. That pretty much was the final nail in tonight's coffin. Jenn's fav, Timlin, also gave up a run in an inning of work, but by then it was already a fait accompli.

On the good side, sort of, both the Rays and Stripes lost. But the flip of that is that the Sox lost a great opportunity to move within a half game of the Rays and also pick up another game on the Yanks. Mixed blessing, indeed.