The morning after, and the lineups

Last night's game was a valuable lesson that should serve as a reminder in the post-season. (Assuming there IS a post-season, and not a second-half collapse.) That is: Don't take anything for granted. Not a ten-run lead, not your perceived superiority over a given opponent.

I'm glad this happened now, and not, say, against the Mets on October.

BTW, you can be pretty sure the Rays are taking nothing for granted. They are a talented, well-managed, and HUNGRY opponent.

I guess they can blame yesterday's collapse on Lugo getting a start....

is it time to start thinking abot going back to the early season line-up with Papi #3 and Bay at #6? seemed to work better for bay

Frankly, I think the whole thing unravelled once it was clear the Red Sox did not have their heads in the game. The Gods have a way of making you pay for hubris - let this be an object lesson, and hope we don't finish in second place by one game this year.

And hopefully Bay will actually get a hit in this series.

UGHHHHHH. Never again will I think a 10-1 lead is safe. Don't look now, but here come the Yanks and Rays.

Bury them

no screwin around from Tito today with the B lineup. I like it.

Wasn't it all Julio Lugo's fault anyway? He must have done something.

Didn't the collapse start shortly after a certain sportswriter counted some unhatched chickens?
Quote from the updates blog in the middle of the 7th inning: "If (when) the Sox win tonight, they'll have won the first two games of six of their last seven series."

Why three lefty's in a row?

//I'm glad this happened now, and not, say, against the Mets on October.//

First of all: It won't be the Mets in October this year. maybe LA?

and second: As Tom Petty once said: "Even the losers get lucky sometime"

Hey, it's simply payback for the Mother's Day Massacre.

The running off the field after two outs? Ugh. Would have been somewhat funny had they won. Now it's just embarrassing. One team thought the game was over, the other kept playing.

But the entire Sox bullpen getting whacked? Wow. Weird game.

Let's just hope last night isn't the mid-season equivalent for Baltimore of Dave Roberts stealing second and the Sox can regain some momentum this afternoon.

Anybody think that the Orioles may have somehow been picking up pitches from Kottaras? Sure seemed like they knew what was coming once he started catching....

"First of all: It won't be the Mets in October this year. maybe LA?"
That's my point, JM. Yes, LA looks more likely than the Mets. On the other hand, losing to a second-or-third-tier team you're leading by 10 runs - that doesn't look to likely either, does it?

Tom Petty was right, as you point out. Don't want the losers going on a lucky streak at the Sox' expense come October.

One thing's prefectly clear over the last month or so: they're getting ready to trade Delcarmen (on or before July 30th).

Notice how they handle him: he only faces a couple of batters each outing. Also note that, of the batters he does face, many get on base (hit, walk). Clearly, he's not doing the job. And also note that by handling him in this manner, he still has decent numbers, i.e., low era, and presents as marketable to pitching starved teams.

P.S. I was at last night's game. They simply lost interest after the rain delay.

Actually, I believe the Rays had a bullpen ERA of 3.33 today. I might be wrong.

i check baseball-reference.com, mlb.com, and espn.com, and as of yesterday the red sox reliever ERA was 3.24 after the game, and the rays were 3.33. and the sox still ranked first in the league. where did you find 3.19? check your stats better.