Were the Red Sox up all night doing their taxes without getting a wink of shuteye? That's what it looked like at Target Field today when their zombie selves showed up to play. Back down under .500 they go, raising questions about just what kind of team they'll be this year (yes, I know it's early, but consistent good play isn't too much to ask for a team with one of the highest payrolls in the game). Wake flaked, the lumber slumbered (except for Pedey, of course, who got 3 hits), and the defense put a dunce cap on Theo "run prevention" Epstein's head. In fact, the only runs they were preventing from scoring were their own! Bill Hall has become the new Julio Lugo and V-Mart can't make a clean throw to second to save his life. Jeez, even Tek did a better job of throwing to second than V-Mart's doing!
The news only gets worse from there: Ells is still in some serious pain and may be out for longer than the Sox first anticipated and Cam may need an appendectomy. While a Reddick call-up wouldn't be too terrible, we REALLY don't want to see Hall in center field again. Let's hope for the sake of the Sox' hit-and-miss offense that Reddick's bat is still as hot as it was in Spring Training.
Talk about a tough team to come home to. The Tampa Bay Rays will be in town to greet the Sox as they begin their homestand. Four games with these guys...The O's can't come soon enough! However, the Sox need to be able to win series against the better teams in the league or they will be hanging with the O's and the Jays in the downstairs part of the division when all is said and done.
I like to strike a balance between the positive and the negative, but games like today make it particularly challenging. It is still very early days, but they have to play better ball more consistently. I haven't yet seen the stellar defense that was supposed to be worth the sacrifice in offensive power. Please, Red Sox, turn over a new leaf when you get back to Fenway and show the Rays that you're a team that means business.
LET'S GO RED SOX!!!!
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