NEW YORK -- Dustin Pedroia late Sunday night was facing the firing squad of reporters wanting to know (like all of New England) what's wrong with the Red Sox, will they turn it around, when will this skid come to an end."Are we in the lead for the wild card? What's the deal?" Pedroia asked.
Tied with the Rangers, he was told.
"Oh good," he said. "So we'll start over. We've got a new season, fifty-something (52) games. We're excited about it."
That's all they have to be excited about. Boston's season is circling the drain, and while no one should expect them to drop completely off the map, the Red Sox for sure have issues.
With back-to-back homers by Johnny Damon and Mark Teixeira -- the fomer Red Sox and the never-was Red Sox -- in Sunday's eighth inning, the Yankees finished off a four-game sweep of their rivals.
The Yankees now lead the season series, 4-8.
At least that's how it feels. Just four days ago, the questions around the Bronx centered on, can the Yankees beat the Red Sox?
That seems like a long, long time ago.
Now the Red Sox have dropped six straight games for the first time since 2006. In 23 days they have gone from three games up on the Yankees to 6 1/2 back.
More importantly, Boston has dropped 6 1/2 games to Texas in that span to fall into that wild-card tie."There's a lot of ups and downs during the season," manager Terry Francona said. "And how you deal with those ups and downs really can define your season."
To that end, Francona briefly addressed his players before Sunday's game.
According to a person who was in the room, Francona told them he sensed some tension in the club around the trade deadline, as rumors swirled and everyone wondered what the team would do.
That's past now, Francona told the team. Settle down and just keep playing and things will be OK.
"Sometimes I think it's important to just talk to our guys," Francona said later. "It was not a big deal.
"I don't know that I believe in ranting and raving for the sake of one game. ... But I just wanted to remind guys how we felt about things, that's all."
Like their manager, the Sox are not panicking.
"We have a long part of our season left," captain Jason Varitek said. "We have too many good characters on this team, this team won't quit."
But it needs to get healthy and it needs to hit.
Injuries (Mike Lowell's hip, Jason Bay's hamstring, Jed Lowrie's wrist, Rocco Baldelli's ankle) and a bullpen overworked because of a shaky back end to the rotation have led to a flurry of roster moves, with 15 players shuttling through six roster spots since July 31.
The offense is atrocious, with no threats after Bay in the No. 5 spot. Victor Martinez's two-run homer in the top of the eighth Sunday mercifully ended a 31-inning scoreless streak -- the team's longest since 1974.
Boston was 3-for-38 in the series with runners in scoring positon.
"I feel we have a good offense," said Pedroia, who was 4-for-16 in the series. "We just didn't score runs, that's it."
As a result, the Red Sox are trying to hold off the Rangers and Rays in the wild-card race instead of working on a division title.
"I still think we're a playoff team," Lowell said. "I don't think we're playing like one right now. ... We can't play like this.
"The whole world isn't over. But I think everyone knows that we've got to play better baseball in order to maintain a chance at the postseason."
That will have to come as a wild card, it seems.
With the Dodgers scuffling, the Yankees now have the largest division lead in the majors. In their history, the Yankees have never blown a division (or, pre-1969, league) lead of more than six games.
Said David Ortiz, who was 1-for-14 in the series, "It can't get any worse, right?"
Sure it could. Ask Red Sox Nation, which goes to sleep at night clutching its panic buttons.
So now what? How do they get back to being the team that was 55-34?
"I don't know," Pedroia said. "I'm not a magic person. I just play second base."
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
8-10-2009 @ 1:48AM
Adam said...
So the title is Red Alert in Sox Nation - then the article is all about how the Sox are not panicking. Nice work.
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8-10-2009 @ 10:39AM
Ralph Garcia said...
YOu must be a fan of the BOAST ON RED SOX also known as the BIG BRAG MACHINE!!!!GO YANKEES!!!!
8-10-2009 @ 2:25AM
blindskateluke said...
Here's something to look for:
Say the Red Sox get a race in September with the Rays and Rangers. Each team currently has around 50-52 games left. The Rays may have one huge advantage over both the Rangers and Red Sox: the Rays play the free-falling Baltimore Orioles 10 times (seven times in September). Now, the Orioles are indeed an up-and-coming team in the long-term, but right now, they suck. The O's, in recent history, fall completely apart in September.
The Rays can count on as many as 8-10 wins during that stretch. That could prove to be the difference at the end of the season.
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8-10-2009 @ 3:07AM
"ED" said...
BEATING THE DEAD SOX IS BETTER THEN SEX! LETS GO YANKEES.
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8-10-2009 @ 5:29AM
calistogakid2u said...
I've been a Yankees fan since 1966 and while it's great that they've have finally turned it around against Boston I will never take anything for granted. Slumps and streaks will always be a part of baseball. I remember 1978 but also 2004. It ain't over 'till it's over.
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8-10-2009 @ 6:20AM
my93bella said...
I have to agree with the Yankee guy. The sox are in the pits now and may stay but baseball is a streaky game.Something is amiss in beantown and I don't know what. The bats are dead and there is apparent tension,it does not look like fun. The Yanks can do no wrong right now maybe this will turn but 61/2 games might as well be 100 at this point
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8-10-2009 @ 7:36AM
DICK JENSEN said...
Terry Francona is the worst manager in baseball. He acts like he died a year ago and nobody has found out . He goes with his starting pitchers too long and it finally caught up with him. His middle relievers never got work. His short relievers were overworked. Francona changes his line up when hitters are hot, and goes with slumping hitters too long. Runners on 1st and 2nd no outs. Everyone knows bunt them along. Francona hits away and double play. Now 1 on 2 outs. The list could go for ever. Francona has to go. When a team is play like the Sox are now you have to manufacture runs. What does rock head do? Nothing!
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8-10-2009 @ 8:09AM
frankbvt said...
You are completely out of your mind, Lester was pitching great, so they nicked him for one home run, big deal, and out he comes, in comes Bard, and the rest of the game is history, I think Francona, and managers in general, take the starting pitchers out too quickly these days, what with five man rotations and no one going more than six or seven innings, starting pitchers are getting soft and it shows....
8-10-2009 @ 11:57AM
taguacipa said...
I agree with you about Terry. Terry is not a great manager look what he did with Philly. Francona along with hitting coach Dave M(F)agadan and Jason Varitek who has past his prime if he had any all should be desiginated for assignment. I have thought that Varitek called lousy games. The game Francona lost in Tampa Bay Wed night he should have walked Longora. Pedroia should have tried to hit the ball up the middle and to right field instead of trying to hit a 10 run homer with the bases loaded. Jason Bay should have took the money he was offered at the break his worth is now going down along with his average lol. Varitek should be sitting down and Martinez should be catching more. So Francona is you are reading this STOP THE SENTAL-MENTAL CRAP AND PLAY BALL, sit some of those over price babies they should know how to play. Advice to you Terry, When you are not scoring runs you have to play smallball, bunt and hit and run alot more. You f-n idiot.
8-10-2009 @ 8:22AM
ronsid770 said...
It's a LONG season !
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8-10-2009 @ 8:36AM
Ralph Garcia said...
So now we have an accurate view of Red Sox history in the early 2000s. Around the time that Red Sox pitcher Pedro Martinez was telling reporters to dig up Babe Ruth so he would drill him in the @ss, Martinez's teammates David "Big Papi" Ortiz and Manny "ManRam" Ramirez were getting drilled in the @ss by steroids needles. Where are members of the Red sox nation also known as the "Big bRAG machine?" About a third of them are jumping off the bandwagon. GO YANKEES!!!!Miami's favorite team, as Miami is also known as South New York for all the former New Yorkers.
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8-10-2009 @ 8:44AM
Dave said...
I guess the Red Sox are realizing that while copying the Yankees formula may bring you a World Series, it's not fool proof. Buying the most expensive free agents and using performance enhancing drugs doesn't always work!
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8-10-2009 @ 9:04AM
brock12600 said...
Maybe the Red Sucks should spend less time in front of the mirror shaping their prissy facial hair and more time in front of a 95 mph fastball during batting practice.
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8-10-2009 @ 9:26AM
jogerbmw said...
GO YANKEES!!!!
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8-10-2009 @ 9:57AM
john said...
the sox are unraveling quicker than obamas health plan,,,,get rid of big sloppy/poppy for starters....great move with smoltz and the picture they got from the yankees,,,,,wake up boston
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8-10-2009 @ 9:57AM
lsmooth07 said...
FINALLY, THE YANKEES ARE STEPING UP, TO THE PLATE................. GO YANKEES.........
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8-10-2009 @ 10:09AM
Mike E said...
How can the Yankees lead the season series 4-8?
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8-10-2009 @ 10:10AM
Mike E said...
Ah, thanks for fixing it.
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8-10-2009 @ 10:28AM
dzduukesagain said...
Finally all the stars in the universe are lining up. Yankees look great. Nothing better in my book than beating that arrogant team four sweep. I am so happy. I hate the sox, with their stupid goatees and braids and long hair. They're has beens. Boston is an arrogant, boring town. It must be a depressing day today in that sorry ass town.
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8-10-2009 @ 10:44AM
dtallard said...
The Red Sox offense is the worst it's been in decades. Pitching and defense only win when you score a run or two. The Yankees now have good pitching and defense along with a powerhouse offense. You can't count the Sox out but they better learn to score some runs if they want to make the playoffs. GO YANKS!
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