Frustration is starting to set in for the Boston Red Sox and it’s fans as they have now been held scoreless by the New York Yankees for the past 24 innings. Yesterday, it was C.C. Sabathia who shut them down in the 5-0 loss that saw them manage just four more hits.
You can’t place blame on Clay Buchholz for the loss because he went out and gave the Red Sox 6 innings of 6-hit ball. He allowed 2 runs and did walk 5 but had three strikeouts. Given the fact the entire bullpen had been used in Friday night’s 15-inning affair, it was just what Terry Francona needed from his young pitcher.
Unfortunately, the offense has gone AWOL and not been able to do anything against the Yankee pitching staff since scoring 2 runs in the 9th in Thursday’s 13-6 loss.
The hole for the Red Sox is getting deeper and deeper as they now are 5.5 games out of first place. Sure they are 8-3 against the Yankees this season but that doesn’t mean a darn thing when they are not ahead of them in the standings. The local nine still holds the lead in the wild card by one game over the Texas Rangers and 1.5 games over their other AL East rivals in the Tampa Bay Rays.
I think we all thought that the proverbial monkey would be lifted from David Ortiz and the Red Sox when he spoke to the media about being on the so-called steroids list. That simply just wasn’t the case as he went 0-for-3 and is now mired in a 1-for-22 slump. The entire team over the past two games is hitting just .105 (8-for-76) and is 0-for-12 with RISP over that same stretch.
Something has to give at some point for the Red Sox. We can only hope and pray that Jon Lester pitches a gem and gets some run support. Otherwise after tonight, we could be witness to the Boston Massacre of 2009 as we were in 2006 when the Yankees took 5 games from the Red Sox in one weekend.
Links coming up after a 10-second pause on the Red Sox blogging network.
Red Sox have zero response [Boston Globe]
Sabathia was on the money [Boston Globe]
Frustration also getting best of them [Boston Globe]
Wild scramble shaping up [Boston Globe]
Ortiz denies that he ever used steroids [Boston Globe]
Lowrie on DL with nerve injury in his wrist [Boston Globe]
Red Sox fans remain loyal to Big Papi [Boston Globe]
Case puts light on gray area of doping [Boston Globe]
Almost a clean getaway [Boston Globe]
For Ortiz, is it truth or consequences? [Tony Massarotti]
CC, Yankees Extend Shutout Streak Against Sox [Hartford Courant]
Ortiz Says He Never Used Steroids [Hartford Courant]
5 Things We Learned About The Red Sox This Week [Hartford Courant]
Shades of 2006 as punchless Boston loses its fifth straight [Providence Journal]
Disappointing season continues for Lowrie, who goes back on DL [Providence Journal]
A-Rod says he hopes Ortiz ‘feels better’ after speaking out [Providence Journal]
Posada and Varitek: Like Munson and Fisk, without the animosity [Providence Journal]
Ortiz says he never knowingly took steroids [Providence Journal]
Ramirez ejected for hitting A-Rod [Projo Sox Blog]
David Ortiz and Union Spin Story, Should We Believe? [Lisa Olson – Fanhouse]
Mudville: Red Sox do nothing right, again, against Yankees [Boston Herald]
Red Sox getting what they paid for [Boston Herald]
Papi just says no to ‘roids [Boston Herald]
Clay Buchholz comes through [Boston Herald]
David Ortiz never knew and fans won’t either [Boston Herald]
SS Lowrie lost to DL [Boston Herald]
Time to see what team’s made of [Boston Herald]
Ramon Ramirez tossed at boiling point [Boston Herald]
‘Confused and frustrated’ [Boston Herald]
Five Things We Learned: The Red Sox Have Been No Match For Good Teams [Alex Speier – WEEI.com]
Guilty Until Proven Innocent: The Trial of David Ortiz [Alex Speier – WEEI.com]
Bay improving, but remains sidelined [RedSox.com]
Skidding Sox not bowing their heads [RedSox.com]
Sox turn to Lester to avoid Bronx sweep [RedSox.com]
For more slices of Boston Red Sox goodness, head over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, and Providence Journal websites.
And if you must see what the enemy papers are saying you can check out the NY Post, NY Daily News, Newsday and Lo Hud websites.
