I guess there is some good and bad news for Red Sox nation as they dropped their last two out of four. The first loss in the past week was against the Detroit Tigers when Josh Beckett dropped the 3-7 loss against Matt Scherzer. After two great games over the past few days at Rogers Centre when Clay Bucholtz and Felix Doubront both picked up additional wins for the Sox, it seemed that they had everything going for them. I was personally away for the majority of this past weekend but I was fortunate to see some of the games played this weekend along with the highlights afterward.
It relieves me to see Kelly Shoppach and Nick Punto finally break out of their shells at the plate, both filling the Red Sox lineup with the stuff they needed to win. Bucholtz (5-2) even picked up another win on Friday when he held the Jays at just 2 runs, enough of a cushion to give the Red Sox as they surged ahead with 7 runs. On Saturday, Doubront (6-2), who has been the ace pitcher for the Red Sox statistically speaking, won that game as well where the Sox offense and the bat of Nick Punto came to life to win 7-4. Saturday's game was significantly sentimental because it not only brought Boston's record to 28-5 but it also ascended the Red Sox from the cellar for the first time this season.
Unfortunately, this turned out to be all temporary as Daniel Bard and the Red Sox collapsed yesterday, Sunday, to tie the standings back up again. Bard (5-6) had a terrible start in the game, lasting only 1.2 innings, Bard had given up a three-run homer in the first to home run king Jose Bautista in the first while walking in a pair in the second to bring the score to 5-0. I do not think that Bard should be in the starting lineup whatsoever and that Bobby Valentine needs to move him back where he belongs as a set up pitcher. Franklin Morales, who had not pitched more than two innings before this entire season, came in to pitch 4.1 innings - the longest a relief pitcher has pitched for Boston since 2005. He gave up only two hits but no walks, no runs and struck out four. This has been Morales' best relief performance I have seen yet from hit and he certainly continues to define the strength of the bullpen. Also, Scott Atchison pitched a scoreless seventh inning as well to bring his scoreless streak to 19.2 innings. The Red Sox could not recover offensively to counter such a tremendous jump to start the game.
