RIP Andrew Bailey & Boston's Ability To Trade For Good Closers

At this point, the Red Sox deserve an intervention when it comes to their stupid idea to trade for closers on bad teams. My cat could write a detailed paper on how it's so obvious that method has been a disaster. Mark Melancon was awful last season then got traded to the Pirates where he became an All-Star set up man this season. Joel Hanrahan came over from Pittsburgh and got hurt almost immediately. With today's news that Andrew Bailey could be facing season-ending shoulder surgery, what else is there left to say but mercy?

We all thought it was time to let Jonathan Papelbon go when it came time to hit free agency but who wouldn't take him back with open arms (he's never been on the DL in his career) at this point? Boston's biggest issue (besides Clay Buchholz's health) heading into the second half of 2013, beginning tonight, starts and ends with their shaky bullpen. Along with Hanrahan and Bailey, Andrew Miller is done for the season with a foot injury and their former ace setup man Daniel Bard's career has reached Rick Ankiel territory in Portland (Double A).

Getting Matt Thornton last weekend was nice but it's hard to see them surviving while they keep shuttling in all these Triple A nobodies. Hey, no worries though since the Red Sox signed washed up scrubs Brandon Lyon and Jose Contreras this afternoon and sent them to Pawtucket. Haha what is it 2003?

The trade deadline is July 31 so you have to assume that the Red Sox aren't done making moves. I doubt that it'll be anything big involving their plethora of promising prospects (alliteration!) but you never know. It should be an interesting 65 games for the hometown team.

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Haren outduels Beckett as D-Backs win 2-1

Since baseball is so slow-paced by nature, it gives old-timers and rock-headed announcers plenty of time to get all whimsical. No sport has as many tired sayings as America's Pastime. One of my favorites is "good pitching always beats good hitting."

For one night at least, that was prophetic as the Arizona Diamondbacks led by Dan Haren outlasted Josh Beckett and the Boston Red Sox, 2-1 last night at Fenway.

Haren (8-4) was just a little bit better than Beckett and he had luck on his side. Haren went seven innings, giving up just two hits and a walk while striking out five.

Beckett (7-5) lasted eight innings but he gave up two runs on five hits with two walks and eight strikeouts.

Playing without Sean Casey (who started serving his three-game suspension), Boston (47-32) was in a pickle when Kevin Youkilis took a ball off his eye in between innings. A throw from Mike Lowell took a bad hop and struck Youk on the eye. He wasn't one of People's 50 most beautiful people to begin with but the shiner really added something to his ugly mug.

Youk had to depart so Brandon Moss came in and wouldn't you know, a big play revolved around his inexperience at first.

In the seventh, Chris Young had doubled in Conor Jackson to give Arizona (40-37) a 1-0 lead before Chris Snyder hit a grounder to first. Moss bobbled it-allowing Mark Reynolds the runner at third to score-before recovering and getting the out at first.

The Red Sox' offense finally awoke in the eighth, forcing D-Backs reliever Tony Pena to throw 26 pitches. J.D. Drew drove in Julio Lugo with a sacrifice fly to cut it to 2-1.

David Aardsma continued his fine recent work as he danced around two walks and a hit to strike out two and record a scoreless ninth.

Former Sox pitcher Brandon Lyon promptly recorded his 16th save of the season on five pitches.