Tavarez is still at loss

Julian Tavarez claimed he didn't feel any pressure in last night's start, though the Red Sox righthander's season might be reaching a tipping point.

"I never feel pressure," Tavarez said after absorbing a 6-5 loss to the Royals at Fenway Park.

"I felt pressure back in 1995, my rookie season, for the first two or three months."

But for Tavarez, the external pressure is building, whether he can feel it or not. He hasn't won since June 20 at Atlanta. In five starts since, he is 0-4 with a 7.71 ERA and hasn't made it to the seventh inning.

Meanwhile, rookie Kason Gabbard tossed a three-hit shutout Monday, making a strong case to stay in the rotation when Curt Schilling returns from the disabled list -- likely at the end of the month.

In perhaps his most important start of the season, in terms of job security, Tavarez began strong before losing his touch in the fourth and fifth.

"The first time through the order, he was very good -- the Julian that we have seen for the majority of the year," said manager Terry Francona.

"The second time through the order, starting on the third time, location seemed like it abandoned him. He's living on one side of the plate, and all of a sudden, they're getting hits in a hurry."

Tavarez allowed four singles in the fourth, resulting in two Kansas City runs. After the offense picked him up in the bottom half, staking Tavarez to a 4-2 lead, he gave it back in the fifth.

David DeJesus started things with a one-out bunt single, and Mark Grudzielanek followed with an RBI double off the Wall. A Mike Lowell error -- giving him 14 for the season, tying a career high -- allowed Mark Teahen to reach.

The next batter, Billy Butler, took a slider that Tavarez left over the middle and smoked it to the left-center-field gap, scoring two more.

"Every pitch I left over the plate -- I wasn't able to get away with one of those -- got hit pretty good," said Tavarez, whose record dropped to 5-8 and ERA rose to 5.27.

"I didn't throw enough sinking fastballs, from what I saw on my tape. I threw too many changeups and sliders. I wasn't able to locate my pitches."

After Butler's double, Tavarez got Ross Gload to ground out, but gave up a single to rookie Alex Gordon to score Butler. After that, Tavarez's night was done, as Francona called in Mike Timlin.

"They put the game up, 4-2, for me and I wasn't able to hold on," Tavarez said.

Whether he will be able to hold on to the No. 5 starting spot is another question.

Francona hasn't indicated how the rotation will go once Schilling returns, though he was quick to point out Tuesday that the jury is still out on Gabbard.

Both Tavarez and Francona downplayed Tavarez's increased workload this season, his first as a full-time starter since 2002 with the Marlins, as a reason for his recent struggles.

Tavarez wasn't expected to make it even this far, as the conventional wisdom in spring training said Jon Lester would assume the No. 5 slot eventually. But Lester has had an uneven year in the minors, and another ex-Pawtucket pitcher now might unseat Tavarez.

Still, the pressure Tavarez puts on himself, it seems, is more focused on not letting the team down than ensuring his starting slot. He will have another chance Monday in Cleveland to ease the stress.

"My teammates are doing everything they can for me, just giving me the chance to go out there and win some games. It's me. Giving up so many hits, so many runs," Tavarez said, pausing to let out a deep sigh. "It's just how it goes."