All Lackey, All Angels...LAA 6 Boston 2

Tuesday night at Fenway Park, LA Angel pitcher John Lackey was trying to do something that had not been done by a visiting pitcher since 1958, 50 years ago, and that something was to throw a no hitter. He was two outs away from doing just that until Dustin Pedroia lashed a line drive single to the outfield. Kevin Youkilis followed that with a two run home run, but that was the extent of the Red Sox offense, which has been anemic lately. The Angels continued their mastery of the Sox with a 6-2 victory. Clay Buchholz was again ineffective, going 6 1/3 innings and allowing 6 runs, 5 of 'em earned. After 4 innings, it was 4-0 Halos, and the fans at Fenway and watching on NESN knew that this one was essentially over. It didn't help Manny Ramirez' Red Sox Nation status when he hit a shot to the far left side of the infield in the 7th inning and JOGGED halfway to first base before turning on the burners when it appeared the play would be close. The throw was high and it looked like he might have been safe if he had run the whole way. The boos, loud ones, maybe the loudest he's ever heard at home, surrounded Manny from all corners of the park. HE BLEW IT! Hey Manny, a little hustle mixed in with all your grumbling might have helped your team, but sometimes, at least to me, it seems like you couldn't give a whit (change one letter and you'll know how I really feel). After the loss, Pedey Pedroia and Mike Lowell voiced what everybody already knows, and it ain't a pretty picture. Here's what they had to say, taken from the Boston Herald...

"It seems like we're not playing good baseball," Pedroia said. "I think it's time to start doing that. It's not like anybody in our division's going to lose consecutive games. Everyone's playing good. It seems like we're not. It's a lack of doing anything. Nobody brought any energy. Nobody did anything. They killed us. It felt like we weren't even in the game."

"We can't keep going into the third game of the series trying to not get swept," Mike Lowell said. "That's not really the recipe for staying with the pack, the leaders in the division."
Asked if the team's play the last two weeks has been worrisome, Lowell said, "If we continue this way, we won't have to worry at all, because we're not going to make the playoffs."

Peter here, and Boston's chances to make the playoffs are no sure thing. I hate to say it, but the world champs are in dire need of a reliable setup man for Papelbon. Buchholz will be jettisoned from the starting rotation to make room for Bartolo Colon in less than two weeks, barring any more setbacks. But the end of July is upon us and the Sox have shown that they cannot beat this Angel team, a club that was made much stronger by the acquisition of first baseman and terror at the plate Mark Teixeira. The best got better in a HUGE way. And tonight at 7:05pm EDT, these two clubs will meet for the last time in the regular season, with Joe Saunders, who's no slouch, ready to face Josh Beckett. Josh was the tough luck loser in his last start, a 1-0 defeat. And so it goes...click on the title of this post for more on the goings on at the Fens last night, and as always, BE WELL. Things can only get better, or..........