It seems like ages ago but do you remember when the Boston Red Sox looked like the class of the American League this summer? They had moved past their abysmal 2-10 and appeared destined for big things in October.
They still could be in the postseason but this team gives new meaning to the term "limping into the playoffs." Tonight, the Baltimore Orioles (65-90)-one of the worst teams in baseball this season and for the past decade-won 6-4 in Boston's (88-68) regular season home finale at Fenway Park.
The O's won three of four against the Red Sox in a series that meant everything to the home team and nothing to the visitors who have been out of contention since I don't know, June? The same things are being said over and over about this edition of the Red Sox and at this point you have to think they are all valid: they're frontrunners, they have no heart or no pride, they think the playoffs are a given.
Despite all this negativity, Boston is in good shape for the AL Wild Card. They're 2.5 games up on the Tampa Bay Rays (who lost both games today in a day-night doubleheader with the Yankees) and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. A win here or there in September (5-16) and it would be locked up but hey, did you hear Sweet Caroline tonight? That was awesome.
Not even Josh Beckett (13-6) could shake this team out of its malaise. The Texas wannabe toughguy went 7.1 innings, allowing six earned runs on seven hits with a walk and eight strikeouts.
Tommy Hunter kept Baltimore in the game until he had to leave in the seventh with a groin strain. He went 6.2 innings, allowing four earned runs on nine hits with a walk and four strikeouts.
In a season that has been a huge disappointment from game one, Carl Crawford actually had a great performance. Too bad, nobody will remember it since it came in another unforgivable loss. Crawford was a homer shy of a cycle with two RBIs; Adrian Gonzalez (2 hits) was the only other Red Sox with multiple hits.
It's hard to choose the most pathetic aspect of this series finale (other than the final result): Baltimore rallied from a 4-1 deficit tonight and also, closer Jim Johnson had his third straight 1-2-3 save (9th save of the season) over two days and each took 10 pitches or less.
The greatest softball player in all the land, with apologies to my girl Jennie Finch, Mark Reynolds was the offensive star for the Orioles. He got the scoring started with a solo homer in the second and then a two-run blast in the seventh which tied it at four.
After tripling to lead off the third, Crawford scored on Jason Varitek's ground out. Crawford added a two-run double in the fourth and David Ortiz made it 4-1 with an RBI single in the fifth.
Normally, that would be enough against the O's but no lead is safe right now for Boston. J.J. Hardy (2 hits) cut it to 4-2 in the sixth with an RBI single and then Vlad Guerrero knocked in two with an RBI single off Alfredo Aceves in the eighth.
It wasn't Aceves' fault since he came in with runners on second and third with one out. He's wiggled out of countless situations like that this season but you can't expect that every time out. I would have intentionally walked Vlad to get the force at every base but hey, what do I know?
There are six more games of this misery and probably a few after that (don't expect a long stay in October) but I can't ever remember a Red Sox team in my lifetime that has disintegrated down the stretch like this. It's embarrassing.
After an off-day tomorrow, they've got three in New York (against the AL East champs) then wrap up the regular season with three in Baltimore. Can they get into the playoffs without winning another game? We shall see I guess.
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