Okie Erupts In The Eighth Inning...The Red Sox Lose Again

The Boston Red Sox will not win anything with their bullpen as it stands right now. They're not standing, I'd say it's more like they're kneeling, faces eating dirt (as they should). You should read an article titled "Sox Season Statistical Anomaly Due to Poor Situational Play." It's fascinating stuff. Simply click on this post's title.

OK, I guess I have to discuss the eighth inning. Okajima relieved Bard with a man on first and nobody out. The old Okie is not the new Okie, not by a long shot. He started out giving up a single to Justin Smoak. Men were on first and second and a pivotal play was about to be. Casey Kotchman bunted to the third base side. Okajima fielded the ball cleanly and had PLENTY of time to throw the ball to Adrian Beltre to get the best out available. But nooooo. Hideki looked twice at third while Beltre pleaded with him to just THROW IT! Nope, he lobbed the ball to first and the runner was safe. Here's our third baseman...

“I was yelling for it,’’ Beltre said, adding that Okajima had enough time to make the play at third. “I don’t know why he didn’t throw it. Maybe he didn’t have a good grip or he thought he didn’t have a chance.’’

And here's the Red Sox skipper, Tito Francona...

“He looked to third, looked like he had time. Beltre got back, and it started out looking good. He didn’t make the throw to third, and we always give him the option: If you’re not sure, get an out. Then from there, I don’t know if he didn’t have a handle. It didn’t look like there was a lot of urgency. They’re trying to give you an out, and you don’t take it, a lot of times good things
don’t happen after that.’’

Even Okie's catcher had his say...

“It was kind of the bunt we were looking for. Oki fielded the ball. I thought we had a play at third base. We’ve got to get an out there, wherever it’s at, and we didn’t do it. It ended up costing us.’’

You know what it come comes down to? YES, YOU DO! Hitting. Boston is saddled with balsam wood bats.Those are the kind of lightweight bats that the very mortal TV Superman broke over his head. The Three Stooges and just about everybody, too, back in the day, used this feather-weight type of wood. Now it's light foam. So what, let's beat the Angels three straight. And then, soon, in a magic land far, far away, Pedey, VMart and Varitek will return. Until then, keep your fingers crossed. GO SOX and don't forget to click on that title. That you for stopping in.