Absolutely Inexcusable

It's time for a major league venting.

This is the game the Red Sox and their fans will look back on after this season is over if the Sox don't go to the postseason and say, "Here's where it all got away." A 6-2 lead over Tampa Bay goes up in flames and becomes a 7-6 loss in ten innings because the bullpen gave up three home runs. To who? Travis Lee? Dioner Navarro? Greg Norton?

Good grief.

Jerry Remy said late in the game on NESN the bullpen had allowed seven home runs in the last 14 games. Well, make it eight now. Absolutely putrid.

How in God's name do you drop ANOTHER series to the lowly Tampa Bay Devil Rays? They went 3-7 in St. Petersburg against this team this season. Those last two series there will come back to haunt this team. Mark my words.

How do you blow a four-run lead against this team with nine outs to get? The bullpen has looked like total crap lately, Delcarmen and Timlin especially. Craig Hansen belongs back in Pawtucket right now. The moment I saw Tavarez come into the game in the 10th, I was all set to turn my TV set off and call this game a loss. I wasn't disappointed. Today it was a COMPLETE bullpen breakdown, on a day when Jason Johnson, who's struggled mightily since coming to Boston, gave the Red Sox six solid innings. He deserved a win today and didn't get it.

Today there were too many wasted opportunities on the bases as well. The Sox easily could have had at least ten runs today.

I'm really, seriously, having my doubts about this team. If the starting pitching and bullpen continues its fade into the West like this, this team will be nowhere near the Yankees by the end of September. Josh Beckett has got stop playing home run derby with the opposition, and David Wells has to get his act together and give this team some innings. But right now the bullpen is a mess and an even bigger worry. NOBODY out there looks good right now.

This was simply a totally inexcusable loss. Spread the blame all around on this one.

I've said it all along, and I'll say it again. Pitching will tell the story for this season. If the Red Sox don't pitch, they will not go to the postseason. Period.

It's time to step up, guys. Prove the naysayers wrong. Or you'll be home playing golf in the first week in October.

The venting is now over. Now I need a drink to wash the bad taste out of my mouth from this afternoon.