Games like today are painful to watch for the following reasons:
1. Your ace is on the hill and you lose.
2. You go 1-7 with RISP, including leaving the bases loaded in the top of the 8th.
3. JD Drew strikes out looking to end the game
Yes, the Sox lost to the Angels 5-4 today in the rubber game of their 3 game series. With the loss the Sox fall to 2-4 on the season, and although it's been a frustrating start, it's not time to panic. That said the callers on WEEI tomorrow will no doubt be in full panic mode, just know that the dumbest 25% call into that station during all hours of the day.
That said here are a couple of thoughts about the game.
-Everyone saw the dust up between Bobby Abreu and Josh Beckett in the top of the 1st inning. I enjoy the way Beckett doesn't take crap from anyone, similar to Pedro, but I think anyone would think twice about charging at Beckett. He's from Texas, don't mess with Texas!
-I won't use the word worried, but Okijima isn't making me as confident as other guys in the bullpen right now. Hopefully he can string together a few good appearances and that will be that.
-Nick Green got his first start at short stop today giving Jed Lowrie the day off. Let's hope Green hit's the cages early tomorrow morning and learns how to bunt. It's actually pretty simple, keep the barrel of the bat above the handle and stand in the front of the box so you bunt it fair. Other then failing to move Tek to third Green actually played pretty well.
-4 members of the Angels were thrown out of the game after Beckett and Abreu's dust up and really only Scioscia should have been. Torii Hunter is an idiot for running his mouth, and who the hell is Justin Speir? I've never heard of that guy but if you tuned in after the first initial clearing of the benches you would have thought Beckett took a piss on the 34 behind the mound. No idea why Speir was all hot and bothered but he was run out of the game as well.
-Peter Gammons was on Baseball Tonight after the game saying umpire Joe West did little to help the Beckett/Abreu situation. After talking to "people" Gammons said Joe West was confrontational when dealing with the Angels, and that Lowell and Youk were doing a good job of keeping the situation under control.
-Again it's early but the Red Sox offense has to do a better job of capitalizing on its' opportunities, I nearly broke the remote control when they left the bases loaded. Also was there any question Drew wasn't going to come through in the 9th? The bat never came off his shoulder.
-156 more games to go.
