Opportunities Wasted

It was a really frustrating day for the Red Sox on Sunday, as they had so many golden opportunities to score runs off Gavin Floyd of the Chicago White Sox, but they could cash in only a couple of times, and wound up on the wrong end of a 4-2 loss.

Dustin Pedroia's streak of reaching base ended at 11 in the third inning. He also came up in the bottom of the ninth with the tying runs on second and third, the one guy in the lineup you'd want up in that situation. But it was not to be as he flied out to left to end the game.

The Sox left an extraordinary number of men on in scoring position: 9. It seemed like every time I looked up, someone was on second and/or third, but they were left there (and it seemed like the currently struggling Jed Lowrie was leaving them there).

Tim Wakefield pitched a fine game in his second start since coming off the DL, going six innings, allowing just three runs. He gave up a first inning, two-run home run to Jim Thome, but settled in after that. The Red Sox loaded the bases in the first, but Jason Bay lined out to finish the frame.

Tampa Bay continued winning (does anyone really think they will fold?), and are now an amazing 5 1/2 games up on the Red Sox. They maybe on their way to winning not just the division, but 100 games. (100 games? Did I just write winning 100 games?) It may now be more important to be checking the wild card race, and the Minnesota Twins won in Oakland, so the Red Sox now lead by 2 1/2 games.