Boomer outta gas

(June 22)

Short Take:  Aw, crap.

First things first.  The Sox should have won this game, that much is obvious.  They had an early lead, David Wells was pitching a shutout, and the .500 level was dancing in every Sox Fan's head.  They blew it, and it wasn't for just one or two reasons.  Woulda, shoulda,... didn't.  Sox lose 6-4 at Baltimore.

Jose Mercedes was getting lit up like the pathetic excuse for a pitcher he is the first three innings.  Jose Canseco paid his first big dividend for the Sox with a two-out, two-run double in the first inning.  He got another rbi in the third on a fielder's choice.  It was 3-0 Sox and our Pale Hose appeared to be cruising.

The Sox wouldn't score again until the eighth inning.  Leadoff man Ray Durham was 0 for 5, never even reaching base!  That makes him 0 for 21, Sox Fans.  Baltimore pitchers wisely pitched around the red-hot Magglio Ordonez (three walks) and the Sox offense was stopped cold.  

So David Wells looked to get the win except he was touched for two runs in the sixth and completely collapsed in the seventh.  Jerry Manuel's critical error was allowing Boomer to face David Segui having already allowed three hits and a runner on second.  Suddenly the Sox were down 5-3.

They looked to get right back in this game with a rally in the eighth.  Baltimore obliged by walking two batters, and Herbert Perry appeared to double home both.  However the tail runner, Tony Graffanino, was called out at home plate by an umpire out of position and incapable of seeing where the tag was applied, clear from the replay too late.  That was the tying run the umpire sent back to the Sox dugout.  The Sox never recovered.

Baltimore got that one run back in the eighth, but who really cares?  It's a loss and the Sox drop back to two games beneath .500

No time to dwell.  Saturday's is an afternoon game on national TV.