NOBODY can blame Freddy Sanchez

Normally when someone gets doubled up at first on a fly ball in the 9th inning of a potential clinching game with your team down, you get pissed.

But I can’t get pissed at Freddy Sanchez. Everyone on the Planet Earth thought that was a triple in the corner. Why the hell Ludwick was playing there I have no idea. So instead of a run in and they tying run at third with nobody out, it was 2 outs, nobody on and a 2 run lead.

Don’t let the Padres win tomorrow, Giants. Don’t give them hope.

That’s more like it

Admit it… when the Sox kept lining into double plays and getting men on base but were unable to drive them in, you thought they were going to blow it.

I sure did.

I had a vibe all game of “Oh man, we just blew our best shot!”

(Although I admit, when I saw the replay of the near triple play, I think the ump made the right call!)

But nope, it turns out that of all the 2009 American League playoff teams, the one with the with the worst mojo right now is the Angels!

I’ll take it.
And I’ll take the win too… time to update the tally!

DODGED A BULLET GAMES – 12

April 4 – 9-7 win against Yankees (On Opening Night, the Red Sox overcome a 5-1 Yankee lead with a game tying HR by Pedroia and a go ahead passed ball.)
April 10 – 8-3 win against Kansas City (Beckett out pitches Zack Greinke and nearly gets decapitated by a line drive.)
April 14 – 6-3 win in Minnesota. (Okajima gets Morneau to pop up with the bases loaded in the 7th and Papelbon wiggled out of a 9th inning jam.)
April 20 – 7-6 win against Texas. (Darnell McDonald introduces himself to Boston with an 8th inning game tying homer and a walk off hit in the 9th.)
April 21 – 8-7 win against Texas. (The Red Sox were down 4-0 early only to win it on Youk’s 2 out 11th inning double.)
April 23 – 4-3 win against Baltimore. (The Sox blow a 3-0 lead but win it on Adrian Beltre’s bases loaded walk.)

April 24 – 7-6 win against Baltimore. (The Red Sox score 6 in the 7th and hold off a late Baltimore comeback attempt.)
April 26 – 13-12 win at Toronto. (The Sox blow an early 5-0 lead but hang on for dear life in a slugfest.)
April 27 – 2-1 win at Toronto. (Buchholz holds the Jays down for 8 but it takes a bases loaded walk in the 8th to go ahead.)
April 28 – 2-0 win at Toronto. (Daniel Bard wiggles out of trouble in the 8th to help Lester shut down the Blue Jays and finish the sweep.)
May 4 – 5-1 win against the Angels. (Juan Rivera misplays Jeremy Hermedia’s 2 out flyball into a 3 run game winning double)
May 5 – 3-1 win against the Angels. (Papi and Beltre homer and the Sox hang on despite squandering many potential rallies.)

TEETH GRINDER GAMES – 9

April 6 – 6-4 loss against the Yankees. (Scutaro’s error leads to the winning run.)
April 7 – 3-1 loss against the Yankees. (Sox leave the winning run on in the 9th only to lose on Granderson’s 10th inning homer)
April 9 – 4-3 loss in Kansas City. (Bard coughs up the lead, denying Wakefield a win.)
April 17 – 3-1 loss to Tampa Bay. (The Sox can’t score with the bases loaded and nobody out in the 11th… lost it in the 12th.)
April 17 – 6-5 loss to Tampa Bay. (The Red Sox comeback falls a run short, leaving two on in the 8th)
April 25 – 7-6 loss to Baltimore. (The Sox blow a 4-1 lead, leave the winning run on second in the 9th, let up 3 in the 10th and could only score 2 in the bottom of the 10th)
April 30 – 5-4 loss in Baltimore. (Tejada ties the game with a 2 out 8th inning homer and wins it with a bloop in the 10th)
May 1 – 12-9 loss in Baltimore. (Dice-K and Wakes get pounded, wasting 2 homers from Ortiz and an early 4-1 lead.)
May 2 – 3-2 loss in Baltimore. (Varitek is thrown at home trying to score with 2 outs in the 8th. Sox get swept in the 10th.

Up to +3 and a .500 record.

Go for the sweep today… then brace for New York.

FORE!

So it has come to this…

It is mid August and if the playoffs started today the Red Sox would be playing golf.

Oh they had their chances today but man they squandered inning after inning.

They hit into 10 double plays in 9 innings. I may have to double check that but I think it is true.

I swear the lead off hitter hit into a double play one inning.

And if it wasn’t a double play than it was a called third strike.

All the while on a broiling day in Texas they managed 3 stinking runs… and now are behind Texas for the Wild Card.

So this is it folks… either the Red Sox show some guts or work on their putts.

Either way, being down 1/2 a game going into August 17 is worth grinding some teeth

DODGED A BULLET GAMES – 16

April 17 – 10-8 win against Orioles. (Overcame 7-0 deficit.)

April 24 – 5-4 win against Yankees. (Bay homers off of Rivera in 9th to tie it.)

April 25 – 16-11 win against Yankees. (Overcame 6-0 deficit.)

April 29 – 6-5 win at Cleveland. (Overcame 5-0 deficit.)

May 12 – 4-3 win at Anaheim. (Down 3-1 in the 8th.)
June 11 – 4-3 win against Yankees. (Down 3-1 in the 8th. Rallied against Sabathia.)

June 12 – 5-2 win at Philadelphia. (Overcame Ryan Howard’s 9th inning shot to win in 13)

June 21 – 6-5 win against Atlanta. (The wind turns Nick Green’s fly ball into a walk off shot)

June 27 – 1-0 win at Atlanta. (Masterson and Papelbon wiggle out of late jams.)
July 1 – 6-5 win at Baltimore. (Sox score 4 in the 9th and Lugo wins in in the 11th)

July 8 – 5-4 win against Oakland. (Wind keeps Hairston’s 9th inning go ahead homer in the ballpark)

July 10 – 1-0 win against Kansas City. (Pedroia drives in the only run with 2 outs in the 8th.)

July 30 – 8-5 win against Oakland. (Ortiz tests postive then hits a 2 out 3 run go ahead homer.)

July 31 – 6-5 win at Baltimore. (Youk’s 2 run homer saves Smoltz from another bad start.)

August 10 – 6-5 win against Detroit. (Sox snap 6 game losing streak with 7th inning rally.)

August 14 – 8-4 win at Texas. (Victor Martinez hits a 2 run 2 strike 2 out double to take the lead and make up for Buchholz’s baserunning mishap.)

TEETH GRINDER GAMES – 22

April 14 – 6-5 loss at Oakland. (Sox blow early 3-0 lead. Lose in 12)

April 28 – 9-8 loss at Cleveland. (Sox blow early 5-1 lead. Lopez drops 3rd out.)
May 14 – 5-4 loss at Anaheim. (Ortiz goes 0-7 stranding 12 runners.)
May 15 – 5-4 loss at Seattle. (Red Sox blow their second 4-0 lead in three days.)

May 17 – 3-2 loss at Seattle. (Red Sox strand two in the 9th. Lose in the bottom of the 9th.)

May 23 – 3-2 loss to the Mets. (Papelbon lets up a 2 out 2 run homer in the 9th to Omir Santos)

June 18 – 2-1 loss to the Marlins. (Rain washes out a tight game after 5+ innings.)

June 28 – 2-1 loss to the Braves. (Tying run on base in the 9th. Solid Penny outing wasted)
June 30 – 11-10 loss at Baltimore. (The Red Sox blow a late 10-1 to the lowly Orioles.)
July 3 – 7-6 loss to Seattle. (Red Sox comeback in the 8th only to lose in the 11th.)

July 4 – 3-2 loss to Seattle. (Saito walks three in the 9th as the Mariners rally to win)

July 9 – 8-6 loss to the Royals. (Bullpen blows early 4-0 lead.)

July 21 – 4-2 loss at Texas. (Beckett loses a complete game and the Yankees take over first.)

July 22 – 3-1 loss at Texas. (Sox are swept for the first time all season.)

July 28 – 9-8 loss to Oakland. (Sox blow 3 run lead in 9th. A’s rally with 2 outs in 9th and 11th.)

July 29 – 8-6 loss to Oakland. (Down 5-0 in the first, Sox comeback falls short)

August 4 – 4-2 loss in Tampa Bay. (Longoria hits 13th inning walk off with first base open.)

August 5 – 6-4 loss in Tampa Bay. (Sox gets swept in a 2 game series with the tying run at the plate).

August 7 – 2-0 loss in New York. (A-Rod’s walk off with 2 outs in the 15 ends a teeth grinding marathon.)

August 9 – 5-2 loss in New York. (4 outs from avoiding a sweep, Bard lets up back to back homers to Damon and Teixeira.)

August 13 – 2-0 loss to Detroit. (Verlander wiggles out of early and late jams.)

August 16 – 4-3 loss at Texas. (Red Sox can’t rally and fall behind the Rangers in the Wild Card race)

-6… I’m not losing hope, but there’s not a lot of wiggle room.

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