Just When You'd Think It Couldn't Get Any Worse: Peter

I don't know how much more of this I can take, Jenn. Today JB was a pitcher in the true sense of the word. When he had to, he made pitches and got outs, including nine K's in 6 1/3 of an inning. He was far from on the top of his game, but at crunch time, he had it all!So he leaves in the 7th trailing 3-2, due to a pair of unearned runs, but Bard keeps things going and the Hub Hose pick up a pair in their half of the 7th and one in the 8th to enter the 9th up 5-3. Enter the Laser. You can almost see where my story's going, can't you. Pap quickly gets two outs, allowing just a walk, the runner advancing on defensive indifference. Still, it's 5-3 with two out. Papelbon's pitching. How bad can it be? This bad--a double scores one run.The next batter up singles for the tying run and Pap's seventh BS of the year (first in several weeks with his recent return to yesteryear). Had enough yet? Too bad, because it goes steeply downhill from here.Pap faces one more batter, who he walks on a 3-2 count.He's then followed by Richardson, who walks the only batter he faces. Tito rethinks Richardson out of the game and Manuel comes to the mound.Is he the solution? Are you kidding? He merely walks the next TWO batters in succession, and, as both walks are with the sacks jammed, two more runs score making it Chisox 7, Bosox 5. What a lovely way to end the afternoon! Right. And the bases are still loaded! Mercifully, he gets the next batter to line out and end the inning. After this, the Hose come up for their last at bat, going oh so quietly on a pair of strikeouts and a fly ball.
If you need any more salt to rub in your wounds, today the Yankees and the Rays both lost--a glorious opportunity to pick up a game on both--not to be. Still ten back of first and 7.5 astern of the card with 25 to play.
The Sox will never admit it, but, given the way things are going, they're already looking closely at the youngsters and how they'll fit in with the regulars with 2011 in mind. If you need reminding just how futile it's been for the Sox to maintain a healthy lineup, the starting lineup that Francona put on the field on Opening Day only repeated its start a total of three more times all season! Four games all year with the Opening Day starting lineup--how bad is that?