"Inexcusable" -- as Jerry Remy called Carl Crawford's straight (and easy) steal of home plate in the 4th inning. The Red Sox have dropped three straight games to the Devil Rays for the first time in seven years (July 6-7-8, 1999).
It is time to pull the plug on the Jason Johnson Era. He has nothing (4-7-5-4-4-3, 85). He allowed no less than three baserunners in each of the first three innings. After Jason Varitek tied the game at 1-1 with a solo shot in the second, Tampa roared back with three runs, putting the Sox in a hole that (for some reason) they could not crawl out of.
Tim Corcoran? Chad Harville? Jon Switzer? Brian Meadows?
You're kidding, right? Jesus Christ. A first place team doesn't get shut down by those arms. Yet, we remain in first, three games up.
Good news (and heretofore believed to be physically impossible): Julian Tavarez pitched three shutout innings.
***
Jason Johnson (6.22) / Tim Corcoran (1.17), 7:15 PM
10 comments:
i am going to lead a crusade to burn down all baseball domes, starting with the trop.
won't you join me? bring gasoline!
On Extra Innings, I'm getting your boys for the first time in the series. They're incessantly making fun of Youk, because god forbid he complains about a f**king catwalk that's IN PLAY in a Major League ballpark! F those guys.
They keep saying "there's no crying in baseball." Well, there's no catwalk in baseball either, assholes.
Well I sure hope the Jason Johnson experiment is over. The guy makes Pauley/DiNardo look like Maddux and Glavine.
I never thought this next phrase would be typed about the Boston Red Sox in 2006: After the break, it is time for Kyle Snyder to receive a legit shot to be the #5 guy. The bar is set pretty low.
The break looks to be coming at a good time, as baseball in the dome has humbled our beloved Sox once again.
Wake needs to get the momentum back before the Sox/Sox showdown over the weekend.
Wily Mo went deep tonight. I know Theo's busy, but we do face Buerhle on Friday. Forget logging AAA ABs, he needs to be in the lineup against the lefty. (I'm fully aware that Kapler has played really well, but Wily Mo gives us some pop that we are sorely lacking against LHP.)
The BoSox have been fun to watch this year - except in Tampa. Please, go trade for Arroyo - whatever were we thinking?
Hey RedSock - what are the Sox doing against AL Teams while on the road (Team BA and ERA)? I think it must be aweful compared to at home.
We are off to the Central AL next - our record 3-6. Yanks and Toronto are inching up as we cool down.
I concur with redsock that it's high time we close the book on the Jason Johnson era, which will be remembered for its flashes of mediocrity interspersed with stretches of futility.
You could almost read Crawford's mind the night before when he was on 3rd measuring Schill in the stretch. To allow the straight steal of home - from a full wind-up - was, as Remy opined, inexcusable, and is but another reason why the Sox must conclude that Johnson has reached the end of the line.
Tito defended the steal of home with as much conviction as a waitress at the local diner trying to pass off a shit sandwich as the Blue Plate Special. In both cases, no one's buying it.
True, the Sox picked a bad time to stow the lumber, but this mutt has to go. Kyle Snyder showed more in his cameo start than Johnson has in his last two...time to give him another chance to prove if he can be the #5 guy we need.
I had the Blue Plate Special yesterday, for real. But it was what I expected. Last night? NOT what I expected. And a win tonight (TIMMY!!) will do much for the trip to White Sox Land. Follow the yellow brick road out of Tampa. And click those heels. They're red, aren't they?
A hiatus in hitting was inevitable after the latest spree, and two lefties in a row will usually screw up this team...why, I do not know. Wily Mo would indeed be useful right now.
I too have had it with Johnson, who is excruciating to watch. Anyone know why the Sox didn't put in a claim for Aaron Small? Surely he'd be a better bet than Johnson, who once upon a time could throw a strike.
But its amazing, isn't it, how few games the Sox futile merry-go-round in the 5 slot has cost? This one, for example, would almost certianly have been a loss, given the Sox hitting.
Re Arroyo...his record is now 9-5; I wouldn't bet against him being a .500 pitcher by Sept.1. He'd still be a great #5 for the Sox, but I don't see a Cy in Bronson's future.
Red Sox at home:
.311 AVG (1st in MLB)
.385 OBP (1st in MLB)
.476 SLG (4th in MLB, 4th in AL behind Tor (.525), Clev, CWS, Bal))
3.99 ERA (10th in MLB, 7th in AL)
Red Sox on Road:
.261 AVG (15th in MLB, 8th in AL)
.353 OBP (3rd in MLB, 3rd in AL, behind NYY and Tor)
.440 SLG (7th in MLB, 6th in AL)
5.10 ERA (24th in MLB, 12th in AL (only Tor, Bal, KC are worse))
The end of the Johnson era... that is just so sad, seriously... Looklng back on two winnable games that became nearly unwinnable after just a couple dozen Jason Johnson pitches in each...
Poor Kyle Snyder, he pitched admirably for the Sox and seemed a lock for those starts when he tacked up a W during the 12 game Sox win streak.
Poor us, Jason Johnson has been pitching for the Red Sox while Snyder has pitched well for the PawSox, instead of the other way around.
B
Post a Comment