If You Enjoy Car Crashes & Train Wrecks, The 2012 Red Sox Are The MLB Team For You

I didn't even see the game, I followed it on my laptop then caught the last inning on the radio but I would remiss if I didn't mention the latest soul-crushing, mind-numbing, punch to the balls for the Red Sox last night. They have lost nine straight to sub-.500 teams and are five games back in the AL Wild Card.

Boston (53-55, 27-32 home) led Minnesota (47-60, 24-28 away) 4-2 at Fenway Park and were one strike away from ending a three-game losing streak to the second worst team in the American League. Then Joe Mauer hit a three-run bomb (his 7th of the season) just over the Wall in left off Red Sox closer Alfredo Aceves (2-7, 6th blown save).

As always, the Red Sox went down quietly as Jared Burton got a 1-2-3 ninth (on 9 pitches) for his fifth save of the season. Alex Burnett (4-3) got the easy win for recording the last out of the eighth. 2012 circled the drain a long time ago and I currently view this miserable franchise like I did last September: I take some sort of twisted joy from their failure since they are the most unlikable local team I can ever remember.

Clay Buchholz continued to be Boston's best starting pitcher (not much of a contest) and he deserved more than a no decision after seven innings, one run (0 earned) on seven hits with three strikeouts and one walk. Twins rookie Cole DeVries was superb as well against the Red Sox lineup that lacks punch without David Ortiz in it. He went seven innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits with five strikeouts and two walks.

Of course, when we look at the box score, no team that has half as many hits (12-6) and three errors ever really should win. Let's be honest there.

Ben Revere went 3-for-4 with a run and stolen base, extending his hitting streak to 18 games. Justin Morneau (2 hits, RBI) and Jamey Carroll (2 runs, 2 hits, RBI) continued to kill the Red Sox this weekend.

Boston took a 2-0 lead as Carl Crawford had an RBI double in the first and Mike Aviles slugged a solo homer in the second, his career-high 11th of the season.

Minnesota scored a run in the fifth on Kelly Shoppach's throwing error then Morneau's sacrifice fly in the eighth tied it at two.

Pedro Ciriaco-one of the only guys to cheer for this season-came through with a clutch pinch-hit homer in the eighth, the first of his MLB career over the Monster. Cody Ross added an RBI single.

Carroll's RBI single cut it to 4-3 in the ninth as Aceves stuggled to get the two-inning save. Bobby Valentine should have seen that he was struggling and gone to Craig Breslow to face Mauer, but he didn't since he's a moron.

Franklin Morales (2-2) is the only thing that stands between a sweep by the Twins this afternoon (1:35 p.m., NESN) as he returns to the rotation to face Nick Blackburn (4-6). Get your popcorn ready, I'm pretty sure the Red Sox will find a way to do it. This series has been the final death knell to this season that we knew was going nowhere all along.

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The Dog Days Of Summer Have Left The Red Sox All But Dead

When you really look at the numbers after a Red Sox loss this season, they will make your head spin. Take tonight's 6-5 setback to the Twins (46-60, 23-28 away) in 10 innings at Fenway Park.

The Red Sox (53-54, 27-31 home) blew a 5-1 lead as they went 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position, grounded into three double plays and left 10 runners on base. Apparently 14 hits aren't enough as they managed to not score a run with runners on first and third with no outs (1st inning); bases loaded with one out (8th inning) and a runner on second with two outs in the ninth. Oh and the Twins made three errors yet still found a way to beat these bums.

After winning four in a row, Boston has now lost the first two games of a series-at home-to one of the worst teams in the American League.

Justin Morneau (2 doubles, 2 RBIs, run) and Jamey Carroll (double, RBI, walk) both went 4-for-4 as the Twins made Felix Doubront (5 innings, 5 earned runs, 8 hits, 2 strikeouts, 4 walks) pay for his lack of control.

Caroll's RBI single in the 10th off Vicente Padilla (4-1) was the difference. Jeff Gray (6-1) picked up the win with a scoreless 1.1 innings while Jared Burton earned his fourth save of the season. You're not alone if you've never heard of many of the current Twins, who no doubt will be bagging groceries in a few years.

Brian Duensing was the victim of bad luck since he went six innings and allowed five runs (2 earned) on 10 hits with three strikeouts and no walks. In the third, Morneau dropped an easy foul pop-up and on the next pitch, Carl Crawford (3 hits, 2 runs) took him deep for a three-run shot (his 3rd of the season, all in the last week).

Darin Mastroianni (2 hits, run) gave Minnesota an early 1-0 advantage with an RBI single in the second. Kelly Shoppach (2 hits) tied it with an RBI single in the second.

Boston did the rest of its work in the third with Adrian Gonzalez's (run, walk) RBI single preceding Crawford's blast into Minnesota's bullpen.

Due to a tight strike zone and a lack of focus, Doubront blew the four-run lead in the fifth. Josh Willingham walked with the bases loaded, Morneau had a run-scoring single and Danny Valencia tied it at five with a sacrifice fly.

Just in case you forget that Bobby V is in over his head, he made sure to remind us by leaving Ryan Lavarnway in to bat with runners on first and second with two outs in the seventh. I know I was shocked when he fouled out to catcher Joe Mauer to end the threat. Jarrod Saltalamacchia was unavailable because of an ear infection. Haha really. I think most Little League teams are tougher collectively than this group.

Dustin Pedroia (run), Cody Ross (double, run) and Mike Aviles (walk) all padded their stats-what's really important-with a pair of hits in the loss. Ben Revere had two hits and a run for the Twins.

I have become totally numb to the brutal losses and general apathy surrounding this suddenly floundering franchise. I can't deal with any of the drama surrounding Bobby Valentine and the players since it never ends. I truly believe the only way to get the Red Sox front office to pay attention is by not going to Fenway anymore and to stop spending money on all the Red Sox related crap. It's clear that they don't care about wins or losses, otherwise they would have done something to change the makeup of this toxic team last winter.

Clay Buchholz (9-3) faces rookie Cole De Vries (2-2) tomorrow night (7:10 p.m., NESN) as Boston tries to get back to .500 and find a way to beat mighty Minnesota.

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