Sunday Red Sox Mediocrity – 9/2

Coco Crisp #4 of the Oakland Athletics rounds the bases after hitting a lead off home run off Felix Doubront #61 of the Boston Red Sox during a Major League Baseball game at the O.co Coliseum on September 1, 2012 in Oakland, California.

The last time the Boston Red Sox were 10 games under .500, Bill Clinton was seven months into his second term as President of the United States (1997). Yes folks, it’s been that long since we’ve seen a team as bad as the current version of this team.

On Friday night, Coco Crisp was the only member of the Oakland Athletics not to do any real damage to his former club. Well he wasted no time on Saturday night as he led off with a solo home run.

The A’s then put this game away in the 3rd inning with four more runs on their way to a 7-1 win over the discombobulated visiting nine from Boston.

Felix Doubront had been one of the more dependable starters the Red Sox have had this season. That was until he reached new heights in innings pitched for a season. Since then he’s been a mediocre pitcher at best with flashes of brilliance here and there.

Last night he did record six strikeouts in three innings. Four of those came in the first two innings of the game. The A’s ended up wearing him down in the 3rd inning as they fouled what seemed to be pitch after pitch. And while they did strike out two times in the inning, the A’s took advantage of him becoming tired and scored four times in the inning.

The 4th inning was probably the most eventful of the night though and not in a good way for the Red Sox. Alfredo Aceves had taken over for Doubront and was involved in every thing that went wrong that inning.

First, Aceves dropped a pop up in foul territory that he had no business being a part of. Then he got into a shouting match with the home plate umpire after he picked up a foul ball and walked back to the mound with it.

The kicker though was when the inning ended.

After the inning was after, he exchanged some words with second baseman Dustin Pedroia, most likely about the pickoff throws to second during the inning. They were separated by the coaches and then after a pat on his ass by skipper Bobby Valentine, Aceves had some words for him too.

Aceves is already on thin ice after being suspended for three games last week. He’s lost his closer’s role and has basically been a janitor lately mopping up the messes by the starters. And now after last night, you have to wonder if Aceves fits into the plans for next season.

The offense couldn’t get much of anything done against A’s starter A.J. Griffin.

He was perfect for 4 2/3 innings before Jarrod Saltalamacchia layed a well placed bunt down the third base line to beat the shift. Of course this prompted boos from the Oakland fan base because he had broken the code.

Folks, he didn’t break the code. Had it been later in the game, then yes he would have. It was the 5th inning of the game. While on paper the Red Sox were out of the game at that point, in the real world they weren’t. Oh, who am I kidding, they were. But that’s not the point.

Ryan Lavarnway singled to lead off the 6th to end that debate and Pedroia singled later in the inning to bring in the only Red Sox run of the night.

The Red Sox are making it very hard for us to watch them right now. No one wants to watch them fight amongst themselves. Sure we know this team isn’t going anywhere this season. We just want to watch them go out and there fight. We don’t want to see them lay down like it appears they have right now.

One thing’s for certain. It’s going to be an interesting offseason as we watch GM Ben Cherington construct this team for 2013.

And while I’m at it, can we just fire Bobby Valentine now.

He looks he doesn’t care any more. And that’s not a good thing for this team given the state they are in.

Click on the read more button below to see today’s lineups, batter/pitcher matchups and links from the overnight and day if you’re on the home page.

Daisuke Matsuzaka (L), Brett Anderson (R)

After losing last night 7-1, the Boston Red Sox look to avoid their second straight road sweep in the finale of a three-game set with the Oakland A’s at O.co Coliseum in Oakland, CA.

First pitch is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on NESN in the Red Sox television market. If you live in the Athletics television market, you can catch the game on Comcast California. If you can’t catch the television broadcast, you can always listen to it on the Red Sox radio network.

Daisuke Matsuzaka makes his seventh start of 2012 and his second since returning from the disabled list. In his previous six starts, Matsuzaka is 1-3 with a 5.10 ERA. He took the loss in his only start of 2012 against the A’s after allowing five runs in one inning of work back on July 2nd. Matusuzaka has made eight career starts against the A’s and is 4-2 with a 4.73 ERA. Five of those starts have come in Oakland where he is 2-2 with a 5.64 ERA.

Brett Anderson makes his third start this season since returning from Tommy John surgery last year. In his previous two starts, Anderson is 2-0 with a 0.64 ERA (1 ER/14 IP). He made two starts against the Red Sox in 2011 and was 1-1 with a 3.46 ERA (5 ER/13 IP). Overall in his career, Anderson has made seven starts against the Red Sox and is 4-2 with a 2.86 ERA.

Here are today’s lineups:

62-72		75-57
1. Pedro Ciriaco	LF	1. Coco Crisp	CF
2. Scott Podsednik	CF	2. Seth Smith	DH
3. Dustin Pedroia	2B	3. Josh Reddick	RF
4. Cody Ross	RF	4. Yoenis Cespedes	LF
5. Mauro Gomez	3B	5. Brandon Moss	1B
6. Ryan Lavarnway	C	6. Josh Donaldson	3B
7. Mike Aviles	DH	7. Stephen Drew	SS
8. James Loney	1B	8. Derek Norris	C
9. Jose Iglesias	SS	9. Cliff Pennington	2B
Daisuke Matsuzaka	SP	Brett Anderson	SP

And here is how the hitters have fared against today’s starting pitchers:

Boston Red Sox @ Oakland Athletics batter/pitcher matchups

NOTES: Ivan De Jesus, who was acquired in the megadeal with the LA Dodgers, has been called up. He’ll provide protection in case Pedroia has to leave for the birth of his second child.

REFRESH OR CHECK BACK OFTEN AS MORE LINKS WILL BE ADDED BEFORE GAMETIME IF/WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE AND WILL BE BOLDED

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Ross has found a home [boston globe]

Reddick feeling at home [boston globe]

‘Joy of Sox’ finally reaches ‘the show’ [boston globe]

Latest loss features dugout spat [boston herald]

Reasons to watch [boston herald]

Green Monster reduced [boston herald]

Last month… last rites [boston herald]

Papi won’t risk Achilles injury [boston herald]

Better not lose Pedey [boston herald]

Josh’s grand reunion [boston herald]