Final Score: Boston Red Sox 3, Baltimore Orioles 6I have said many things about Okajima, the Red Sox 2nd most heralded Japanese import. I have called him a surprise, a gift, the most solid middle reliever in the AL East… but before tonight I have never called him a sack of garbage. I guess it was over due?
On a night where Manny remained red hot, the defense was amazing and the starting pitching from Wakefield was beautiful (7 innings 2 runs), Oki just fell apart. In a 3-2 game in the 8th (Sox lead damnit), Oki Crapi gives up 3 straight singles, a sac fly (tie game), a infield squib that leads into a run down at third, a bases loading walk and then a wall ball double that was a hairs breath away from a grand slam. Son-of-a…
Now before people start defending him with “oh he just had a bad night” and “he’s been so dependable before” let me just cut you off with this: shut up. The biggest weakness of this Sox team is the bullpen and Oki (unfortunately) is part of the problem. This is his first total meltdown, but he has become the king of the inherited runner. Remember Timlin circa 2006? Well Oki has been studying that playbook word for word. Oki’s ERA is still low, but the guys pitching in front of him have been cursing his name. Now I am too.
Bottom line? The Sox should have swept this series… and normally this would put me in a fit…but tonight it’s the least of my worries. The Man, the Myth, the Legend, the Papi… is out indefinitely. I wan to puke just writing this, but the wrist injury is sending Papi to the DL for at least a month. Some say surgery, some say season ending… I say “urrrrrrrrpppp” as my lunch comes back to visit all over the floor. I need a moist towelet.
Posts
