Matsuzaka Throws Excess Of Pitches But The Bullpen Blows It...Manny Delcarmen Has Elbow Problem...Sox Lose To Rays

OK, this one was ugly. Although Boston Red sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka kept his team "in the game", he threw way too many pitches. In all, he went 6 innings and allowed 3 runs, walking 4 (!!) and whiffing 7. The only problem was this. He threw 80-something pitches in the first 3 innings! In all, his pitch count was 111. Atchison took care of the 7th but then the Tampa Bay Rays exploded against 2 relievers, Manny Delcarmen (more later) and Ramon "up & down" Ramirez. The final score was Rays 9 Sox 4. The Yankees, still in first place by a game, were losing big and Boston knew a tie would put them atop the AL East with the pinstripers. Not bad for a team that not too long ago was 8 games back. And the scoreboard loomed large for every Red Sox player to see. Here's Mike Cameron...

“About the sixth inning I did glance over there and saw that score,” he said. “I’m like, ‘Damn, they’re losing 7-0.’ I’m right there in center field, so all I have to do is turn my head. But anyone who says they didn’t notice it, well, I don’t know about that.”

So first place was not to be and now Manny Delcarmen, who faced 5 batters and failed to record an out, disclosed his pitching elbow has been hurting. He had Tommy John surgery in 2003 and manager Terry Francona said he would be evaluated soon. Imagine what this team could do at full strength. I guess we'll just have to imagine for a while. Delcarmen was asked what's troubling him...

"My elbow, a little bit," Delcarmen said. "I think it's something in my forearm. It's been for like a week. It's been getting better every day, just having a little trouble getting extension on the ball. So I'm going to see how the day off goes, and see how I feel on Friday."

Last night, that lack of extension caused his pitches to lose their "bite." Without it, you get hit, and that's what happened. But tonight's another night as they start a 3 game series with the Orioles. The Sox must take advantage of that and win all 3 games. Here are the game essentials...

7/2/2010 **Bal 7:10 PM ET MASN/NESN *** Wakefield (2-6) vs. Bergesen (3-4)
7/3/2010 **Bal 7:10 PM ET MASN/NESN *** Lester (9-3) vs. Guthrie (3-9)
7/4/2010 **Bal 1:35 PM ET MASN/NESN *** Lackey (9-3) vs. Matusz (2-9)

That's a wrap for this Friday as we start the 4th of July weekend. Be careful on the highways and byways, click on this post's title for more Sox stuff and as always, BE WELL. Happy 4th.