The Boston Red Sox bullpen is not off a to a good start in 2010. They’ve been lit up more than the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center in NYC.
Rick Ankiel’s fourth hit of the night, a 2-run single, was the difference as the Kansas City Royals rallied for a 4-3 win in front of 21,191 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri on Friday night.
The top of the 8th started off with Hideki Okajima allowing a lead-off double to David DeJesus. Scott Podsednik’s sacrifice bunt moved him over to third. After Daniel Bard came in for Okajima, he issued a walk to Alberto Callaspo.
Bard rebounded by striking out Billy Butler but Ankiel came through with the big hit to bring in the tying and winning runs.
It’s the third straight loss for the Red Sox (1-3) after taking the season opener from the Yanks. The Royals improve to 2-2.
Tim Wakefield started this one for the Red Sox and was outstanding. He went seven innings, allowing two runs on six hits and one walk with six strikeouts.
Okajima went 1/3 of an inning, allowing a run on one hit. Bard went 2/3 of an inning, giving up one run on a hit and a walk with a strikeout.
Kyle Davies started for the Royals and allowed three runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts. After Davies, five Royals pitchers combined to pitch the last three innings, allowing no runs on three hits and three walks with five strikeouts.
Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Cameron both had two hits each for the Red Sox. J.D. Drew’s one hit of the night was a two-run home run and Adrian Beltre added a hit and a RBI groundout.
David Ortiz had an opposite field double and was later ejected for arguing balls and strikes. He was replaced by Jeremy Hermida, who had a hit in his first at-bat in a Red Sox uniform.
The Red Sox got out to a 1-0 lead on the RBI groundout by Beltre in the 4th inning and later that inning got the two-run homer by Drew.
The Royals would get their first two runs on back-to-back home runs by Billy Butler and Ankiel in the 6th inning.
The Red Sox bullpen in 13.1 IP has now allowed eight earned runs on 13 hits and nine walks. To me the biggest difference is not having Billy Wagner or someone of his caliber at the back end of the pen before Jonathan Papelbon.
He was a big part of why the Red Sox bullpen was successful at the end of 2009 but since the Red Sox didn’t replace him, they’re back to struggling like they were before Wags came over.
The Red Sox will have another tough one tomorrow night when they’ll take on 2009 Cy Young winner Zack Greinke. Josh Beckett will start for the Red Sox.
First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m.
