Chest Pains in Texas

I'll try to keep this one short and emotionless, because I am not happy right now. The Sox needed this one today. They didn't get it, due to the offense and their inability to get ANY timely hitting. Now I am an absolute optimist when it comes to the Sox, but I'm also emotionally attached, every loss hurts, but this one today really killed me. We hit into 3 double plays and strand the entire state population of Rhode Island on the bases. We needed this series and what really gets me, is we played well enough to win today, in terms of base runners and pitching. Poor Gavin Floyd.... my God, he goes 7 innings and gives up 1 earned run and 3 hits.... and gets the loss? Excuse me while I go throw up....

I mean in the last 3 innings alone we left like 6 or 7 guys on base! It's like, "Hang on Ozzie, I'm getting on a plane to Texas right now, I'll come hit for ya." I mean how long can this inconsistency continue with this offense? It is way to talented to leave guys on base like this. What really kills me is the importance of this road trip and the fact that we should be 2-1. 

The 8th inning we have 1st and 3rd with 1 out and Dunn strikes out (thats new) and Pierre grounds out. We get nothing. 

Now, I wanna talk about something that really, really got on my nerves. My buddy Alexi Ramirez leading off the 9th. Lets break down the situation....

9th inning factors:

- Down 1 run (so we need base runners at all costs)

- Heart of the order

- The pitcher they bring in has control issues

- The pitcher they bring in has walked 12 in his 15 innings of work....

.... Put that all together and what does baseball for Dummies tell us? TAKE SOME PITCHES!!!!! WORK THE COUNT IN YOUR FAVOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Instead Einstein... pardon me... Alexi swings at the first pitch OF THE INNING! And flies out to center. We're already working up hill because we're down a run, now we're down an out after one pitch!! Think thats a stupid point for me to make? Well the pitcher went on to walk the next 2 batters on 9 pitches.... Imagine if Alexi would have just taken a few pitches, might have had an extra out and an extra baserunner. 

This offense is just knocking days and hours off of my life, every time they have a good game (last night) they come back and look like they've never picked up a bat before. The only way the Sox are getting back into this is if they stack up win streaks (big or small) and its hard to win when your offense strands Will County on the bases. I'm sorry if this has been an uncharacteristically bleak post, this game today just really bothered me. We just had so many chances, again Floyd and the bullpen do their job perfectly, and the offense just stomps all over our hopes and dreams. I've just never seen such a stacked offense stall like this. And the double plays? Good Lord, I started thinking, yea theres 1 out and a guy on first, we might as well just sac bunt and take our chances getting a base hit with 2 outs, at least we'd stay out of the double play (obviously thats exaggerated, but the double plays are really getting old). Its too bad that we don't get runs for double plays hit into, we'd be unstoppable. 

Again, its early in the year still, we're within striking distance of .500 and the division, and our schedule gets really easy pretty soon. Everything is going to be there for the taking, it's just up to the Sox to take it. 

My girlfriend just walked out of the room and she says, "Do you want anything?" (meaning to drink or eat)  And I responded with, "Timely hitting." This one is gonna be on my mind for a while....

Something to look out for an think about while we're in Canada:

- Take note on how many times the Blue Jays "fans" boo Alex Rios when he bats.....
Even though he gave them a lot of solid years and the Blue Jays were the ones who released him....

Lets bounce back again tomorrow and string some wins together. Sorry if I was negative, even the most optimistic fans have a breaking point sometimes. Go Sox. Everything will look better tomorrow after a big win over the Blue Jays.