Gotta' Turn It Around

Well, after we got out of Baltimore, back to the Fens and facing the Mariners, one would have thought things would be ripe for another win streak. That's what one would have thought, but not to be. We lost the first two to Seattle in a pair of frustrating losses--either not getting the timely hit (2x with bases jammed in game 2)or having the pitching fail at the worst time: Jenks blowing a save & taking the loss with some horrible throwing out of the pen in game 2.Just a couple of examples. Add to this: Crawford not doing much yet, Pedroia in a slump and the rest of the team just missing on getting some continuity going and you have another frustrating start to a home stand.
Fortunately, in the finale today, the Hose got it together and won the game in the last of the 9th. Facing the M's best starter, Fernandez, the Sox gave a spot start to Wake and the knuckler was definitely fluttering. In 5 2/3 innings, he held the M's to just three hits and left leading two zip. Enter Jenks--do we have to see this train wreck again. It's like Groundhog Day--over and over and over--same story. In just a third of an inning, he faces five batters, gives up a hit and three freebies (a pair with the sacks jammed)and, voila--the score is tied! Another Blown Save and BS is a perfect description of his pitching so far this season. At least back in the Windy City, he'd fit right in as the Chisox are in literal free fall at the moment. But enough of the bad. Starting the next inning,another new pen member, Albers, came on and gave the Sox just what they needed at that point--a pair of perfect innings,lowering his season ERA to 1.13 in the process. He was succeeded by The Laser, who once again looked like the original Pap, not last year's version. In a perfect inning of his own, he got one K, dropped his ERA to 1.74 and got credit for the W. Oh, yes, the W--Lowrie gets up and lofts a seemingly easy fly to right field. Easy except that Ichiro can't see it because he is totally blinded by the sun. It falls harmlessly, hitting him as it does, and when the base path dust clears, Lowrie is standing on third with a triple. Up comes another new Sox member; one who is still trying to show he's worthy of his seven year, $140 Mill contract. You guessed who: Carl Crawford. At this point, he's 1-3, still well below the Mendoza Line, but hitting at his highest level for the year. When you're batting in the .160's for the year and it's your best, you really have to get better! What does he do? He rockets a shot back up the middle for a hit, drives in Lowrie and wins the game! I guess that's what Theo was hoping for when he hired him. Hopefully, it'll continue for the rest of the season.