You had to know this was coming. Too many runners stranded – His Papiness a brutal 0-6 with three LOB’s. From the mound, too many walks issued to the speedy Rays. Javier Lopez threatened to break our hearts in the tenth. Mike Timlin made good on the threat in the eleventh. And so we find ourselves riding a three-game losing streak, due in large part to the most unlikely of foes: the flu.
The list of things to strike fear into the heart of Red Sox Nation in last night’s game is long. Wakefield unable to contain a team he made his bitch a long time ago. Mike Timlin looking very ineffective and maybe a little scared on the mound. Julio Lugo making a critical error and going 0-4 against his former team. The Mayor coming up lame with a hip flexor. But the scariest sight was the one that ended the game: David Ortiz diving headfirst trying to beat a double-play at first base. It can only go in the “what was he thinking” file. It had shoulder injury written all over it.
All that being said, look at the standings and there are the Sox, sitting on top at 15-10. All things considered – the whirlwind world tour to start the season and the recent flu epidemic – I’ll take it. Buchholz tonight and Beckett tomorrow…feels pretty good. I’m calling for a blow-out. A full-on Detroit-over-Texas drubbing with Manny leading the way. Yeah.
