For the last few months whenever the Boston Red Sox have needed a big start, they’ve been able to count on Clay Buchholz. But for the first time in a long while, Buchholz wasn’t able to deliver.
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim roughed up Buchholz as they went on to beat the Red Sox 7-3.
With the loss, the Red Sox fall six games below .500 to 59-65. The last time this season the Red Sox were this far below .500 was on May 11th when they were 13-19. The game before, they were seven games below .500.
It was obvious Buchholz didn’t have his best stuff last night as he was continously leaving pitches up in the zone. The Angels battered him for 12 hits in his 5.1 innings and he was charged with all seven runs scored by the Halos.
It looked like he’d have a good night on the mound as he set the down the Angels in order through the first two innings. Things took a turn for the worst in the 3rd when he allowed three straight singles that scored the first run of the game. They got their second run on the next batter when rookie phenom Mike Trout brought in a run on double play.
The Angels would add two more in the 4th and two more in the 6th. One of those runs in the 6th came on a Howie Kendrick home run and the other came after Junichi Tazawa allowed one the inherited runners left by Buchholz to score.
The offense did try to get the Red Sox back in the game even with Jered Weaver pitching.
With one out in the 4th, Jarrod Saltalamacchia singled. He would come around to score when Ryan Lavarnway knocked in his first run of the 2012 season with a double. He quickly crossed the plate as Mike Aviles followed with a double of his own. They added another run in the 8th on a Cody Ross double but that’s all they could muster.
The Red Sox are deeply falling into the abyss as at times, it just doesn’t look like they care. I know that’s not the case but on the outside it can appear that way.
The deper the hole the Red Sox fall into, the more the media will write things about them as to why it happened. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least to see more negative things come out about this team in the coming weeks.
While we all know the Red Sox aren’t going to make the playoffs this year, it would be nice to see the close out the season on a positive note. The baseball operations department needs to do some serious evaluating of things from top to bottom and see what pieces they have to build around again. Nobody expected this from the Red Sox this season but it is what is.
We’ll be back later with today’s lineups, batter/pitcher matchups and links from the day. So for now, let’s take a look at the overnight links from the media.
To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click
False start [boston globe]
Valentine believes drug policy is working [boston globe]
Is Matsuzaka worth another roll of the dice? [boston globe]
Now is the time to begin looking for the end [boston globe]
Clay Buchholz torched as Sox’ outlook worsens [boston herald]
Shame on Red Sox players [boston herald]
Angels buddies laud Will Middlebrooks [boston herald]
Daisuke Matsuzaka ready for final roll [boston herald]
Scott Podsednik continues to go out and produce [boston herald]
Revolving coaches might be real Sox issue [boston herald]
Red Sox drop third straight, fall to Angels, 7-3 [csn new england]
Matsuzaka feels better, looks forward to contributing [csn new england]
Buchholz hit around park in loss [csn new england]
Buchholz: ‘I’m not really disappointed’ [csn new england]
Rapid Reaction: Angels 7, Red Sox 3 [espn boston]
The Boston Red Sox are posing for their 2012 team picture, but will anyone even want to keep it? [espn boston]
What does the future hold for Clayton Mortensen and Franklin Morales? [full count]
Closing Time: Clay Buchholz can’t slow down Red Sox’ slide [full count]
Albert Pujols to have MRI after straining his right calf against Red Sox [full count]
Daisuke Matsuzaka Hopes to Stay in Boston Beyond 2012, Rejoin Rotation Soon [nesn.com]
Nick Swisher Exactly the Kind of Player Red Sox, Yankees Should Be Looking for (Just Not This Year’s Version) [nesn.com]
Bobby Valentine Believes Franklin Morales Has ‘What It Takes’ to Be Full-Time Starter in Future [nesn.com]
Felix Doubront Moves Closer to Returning from Disabled List After Getting Needed Rest [nesn.com]
Red Sox Pitching Staff Continues Struggling in Small Sample Size of Games Since Coaching Change [nesn.com]
Red Sox’ Situational Hitting Falls Short Again, Batters May Be ‘Trying to Do Too Much’ [nesn.com]
Red Sox Find That Playing From Behind Is Not a Recipe for Offensive Success [nesn.com]
Bobby Valentine Says Beginning of Weightlifting in Baseball Helped Mask Steroids Issue for Some [nesn.com]
The idiocy continues [projo sox blog]
Mortensen proves to be valuable piece in bullpen [redsox.com]
Back in Boston, Dice-K ready for return to field [redsox.com]
Could John Lackey be part of the Red Sox solution in 2013? [alex speier – weei.com]
Don’t let Pedroia go the way of Nomar [touching all the bases]
For more slices of Red Sox goodness, head over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, CSN New England, ESPN Boston, NESN, Providence Journal, RedSox.com and WEEI websites.
And if you must check out the enemy news, head over to the LA Daily News, LA Times and Orange County Register websites. You can also check out our Bloguin brother Monkey With a Halo.
Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.
photo credit: getty images
55-68
59-66
64-60