Sox Corpse loses again

(May 18)

Short Take:  You knew Clayton would play, right?

Jerry Manuel started young Kip Wells in his first game of the year.  Figuring to need extra runs to help the young pitchers confidence, who do you suppose Manuel put in the Sox line up?  Royce Clayton and Harold Baines, of course.  What, couldn't he find room for Julio Ramirez, too?

The Sox lost 3-2 to Oakland for their fourth straight defeat.  How we managed to even make this game close is truly a miracle because anyone watching the Sox swing at first pitches and then trot back to the dugout knows this team hasn't a clue at the plate.  Will somebody wake up Von Joshua.  Hit Jerry Manuel over the head, too!

Wells pitched five innings but got no run support and finally was touched for three runs, starting with a dinger that may have rattled him a bit.  So what?  Did Jerry Manuel honestly expect to win this game?  You wouldn't know it by his line up.  Clayton is now hitting .103 after another 0 for 3 performance.  Manuel even allowed Clayton to bat at the top of the eighth inning.  He had Tony Graffanino available as a pinch hitter!

Batting in the #5 spot, Harold Baines managed two walks along with a pair of groundouts, his batting average sinking further to .123.  Nobody on the Sox got credit for an rbi because the only runs they scored were both on double-plays.  Jeff Liefer and Paul Konerko were the guys lucky enough to be batting with nobody out--or the Sox wouldn't have scored any runs!

Ray Durham reached base once on a walk, but he also struck out twice.  He and Jose Valentin reached base twice in eight plate appearances.   

Jerry Manuel is not serious about winning baseball games.  Sox Fans aren't serious about giving him anymore slack, too.