Boston Red Sox News & Notes – 8/5

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Justin Masterson delivers in the fourth inning against the Boston Red Sox during a baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston on Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2010. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

When the Boston Red Sox traded for Victor Martinez from the Cleveland Indians last year, they were reluctant to give up Justin Masterson in the deal. But in the business of baseball, you usually have to give up something good to get something good. The Red Sox even tried to reacquire him from the Indians before the non-waiver trade deadline this season.

And for the second time this season, we’ve seen why the Red Sox were hesitant to part with him.

The first time Masterson faced the Red Sox, he picked up his first complete game shutout. And last night at Fenway Park, he pitched five strong innings with the only run he allowed coming on a home run off the bat of David Ortiz. For Masterson, it was just his fourth win of the season with two of them coming against his former club.

For the fourth straight start, Jon Lester was on the losing end of the game for the first time in his career. He ended up having to leave the game with a hamstring cramp which was the by-product of the humidity in Boston last night as well as a lack of sleep from having a new baby in the house.

Even before the baby was born, Lester had been in a funk losing his last three starts before last night. This wasn’t the Lester we saw turn his bad month of April around into a great May and June which got him on to the American League All-Star team.

He didn’t help his own cause as his throwing error led to the Indians first run. He also had trouble locating his pitches later on that led to three Indians runs.

The defense wasn’t all that spectacular after Lester left as a Martinez error and a Marco Scutaro error led to five more runs.

While injuries may play a factor as to why the Red Sox don’t make the playoffs in 2010, it is really their inability to beat the bottom feeders as I said on Tuesday. They are now 15-15 against the likes of the Indians, Mariners, Orioles and Royals. That’s just not going to cut the mustard folks.

With 54 games left to go in the 2010 season, it’s slowly slipping away. The Red Sox find themselves trailing the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays by 6.5 games in the AL East and the wild card standings.

At this point, it’s going to take a miracle for the Red Sox to get to the postseason. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still rooting for them as I believe anything is possible but they need everything to start clicking on all cylinders now.

If not, we’ll be listening to the Yankees fans boast how our boys are on the golf course. And none of us wants that.

We’ll be back later with tonight’s lineups, batter/pitcher matchups, any news and links from the day but for now enjoy the overnight links after the jump.

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Thrown off stride [Boston Globe]

Ellsbury leads off — and defends [Boston Globe]

Masterson sure has mastered former team [Boston Globe]

Scutaro 2d in order, still a top contributor [Boston Globe]

Running start for Pedroia? [Boston Globe]

Sox recap: Jon Lester struggles in loss [Boston Herald]

Ups bring Red Sox down [Boston Herald]

Josh Beckett, John Lackey lead battle cry [Boston Herald]

Jacoby Ellsbury front, center [Boston Herald]

Ortiz: “We’re running out of time” [Clubhouse Insider]

Lester loses his fourth straight decision [CSN New England]