In The Latest Chapter Of Rock Bottom, Red Sox Get Swept By A's To Complete 2-5 Road Trip

Is it possible to pretend that the Red Sox' West Coast trip to Seattle and Oakland simply didn't happen? I wish that was the case although at least we can take heart in the fact that it is mercifully over at long last.

Boston (42-40, 21-19 away) might as well have walked home as they lost 3-2 this afternoon to the A's (41-42, 22-19 home) at O.co Coliseum. Happy 4th of July, Oakland swept all three games against Boston (for the first time since May 2008) which meant the Red Sox went 2-5 against the Mariners and A's-two of the worst teams in the American League.

Want more depressing stats? Sure why not. Boston was held to two runs or less for the fifth straight game and sixth time in its last seven contests. As a team, the Red Sox hit .200 in this lost week. Finally, Oakland improved to 5-1 against Boston this season.

Dustin Pedroia (thumb) and Will Middlebrooks (hamstring) sat on the bench today, since the Red Sox are too smart to put injured players on the DL. That would make sense, it's better to have them eat a roster space and not be able to use them at all or better yet to stick scrubs in their spots.

Former average or worse Red Sox Coco Crisp, Josh Reddick and Brandon Moss collectively had the best series of their careers going 12-for-29 with six runs, four homers, nine RBIs, triple and two walks. Moss was the star today as he went 3-for-4 with two runs, a double and solo homer. Crisp was 2-for-4 with a triple and run while Reddick was held to a single and walk.

Aaron Cook went 6+ innings and did his job, only allowing three earned runs on nine hits with one walk and no strikeouts. Of his 18 outs, Cook had 13 ground outs so his sinker was working for the most part.

One of the most shocking aspects of Boston's lack of offense on the West Coast was that they faced mostly average starters and rookies. Felix Hernandez was the only certified ace or even No. 2. Step right up Oakland rookie A.J. Griffin who had a nice outing in only his third MLB start. He went six innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits with three strikeouts and two walks.

It was a shame that David Ortiz's 400th home run came in such a forgettable loss on a holiday when probably most fans weren't even paying attention. His 22nd of the season was a solo shot that was a no-doubter to right field. It tied the game at one in the fourth.

He became the 49th player in MLB history to hit 400, the eighth active guy to reach that mark (Paul Konerko did it earlier this season). Ortiz is the sixth player to reach it while he was a Red Sox (Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, Andre Dawson and Manny Ramirez) and the first to do it since Manny in 2005.

Moss had given the A's a 1-0 lead in the second with his 10th homer of the season to center.

Adrian Gonzalez kept his 15-game hit streak intact with an RBI single in the sixth which made it 2-1 Red Sox. Unfortunately, Boston's only other hit was a double by Mauro Gomez (the 1st hit of his MLB career).

Brandon Inge (2 hits) tied it at two with an RBI double in the sixth and Jemile Weeks had the game-winning hit, an RBI single in the seventh which scored Crisp who had led off with a triple.

You think Boston wanted to get on the plane for the long flight home? It took 33 combined pitches to retire them in the 7th-9th innings since they didn't walk or get a hit against any A's relievers. Grant Balfour got five outs, Jerry Blevins struck out the one player he faced (Ortiz to end the eighth) then All-Star Ryan Cook only needed seven pitches to record his eighth save with a 1-2-3 ninth.

The best news for the Red Sox is that they have tomorrow off before beginning their last series of the first half. They host the New York Yankees (49-32, 1st in AL East) with four games this weekend including a day-night doubleheader on Saturday. The rivals have only played twice so far in 2012 with New York winning both (April 20-21) which culminated in the original rock bottom reference by Bobby Valentine. The third game was rained out, hence the makeup date now.

Since they trail the Yanks by 7.5 games and are tied with the Blue Jays for last-place in the AL East, it's not hyperbole to say that this could be a make or break series in terms of even dreaming of giving New York a scare in the second half. If the Yankees win the series, it's time to focus solely on the two Wild Cards. Ditto if the Red Sox win the series but at least they'll head into the All-Star break on a high note as opposed to this current down in the dumps feeling.

Josh Beckett (4-7) faces Hiroki Kuroda (8-7) on Friday night (7:10 p.m., NESN), Franklin Morales (1-1) pitched 1.1 innings of relief for shits and giggles today but he faces Phil Hughes (9-6) on Saturday afternoon before Felix Doubront (8-4) gets Freddy Garcia (2-2) on Saturday night (7:15 p.m., Fox). MLB's first half closes on Sunday night with Jon Lester (5-5) opposing Ivan Nova (9-3) on Sunday Night Baseball (8:05 p.m., ESPN).

Red Sox-Yankees games always take forever, let's hope that with four games packed into three days, maybe they can speed the pace up just a bit. Haha I'm sure the reverse will actually happen.

UPDATE 7/6: Looks like I got my wish (a month late) as ESPNBoston.com reported this evening that Pedroia will be placed on the DL with his new injury. If you want to believe the Red Sox, it is to the same right thumb as before which caused him to miss seven total games in June. Ugh, it never ends.

Pedro Ciriaco has been called up with Pedroia going on the DL and Rich Hill being moved to the 60-day DL since Ciriaco wasn't on the 40-man roster. Nick Punto will start at second base tonight in the series opener with the Yankees. Shoot me now please.

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Red Sox Rally Falls Short In The 9th, A's Win 5-3

With cold temperatures, rain and windy conditions, tonight was a miserable time to be at Fenway Park. The Red Sox didn't help matters as they sleepwalked through most of the game.

Oakland (12-13, 6-6 away) held on for a 5-3 win after they almost squandered a 5-1 lead in the ninth with closer Grant Balfour on in a non-save situation. Boston (11-12, 4-6 home) made it very interesting with a two-run single by Mike Aviles but Jordan Norberto was able to strike out Lars Anderson and get Dustin Pedroia (potential winning run) to ground into a fielder's choice to second to end it with runners on first and second.

A's rookie Jarrod Parker (1-0) was impressive as he picked up his first MLB win. He went 6.2 innings, allowing one earned run on four hits with four strikeouts and two walks.

Cody Ross (3 hits, run) was the only Red Sox with multiple hits including a pair of doubles.

Red Sox rookie Felix Doubront (1-1) gave tangible evidence for why strikeouts are one of the most overrated stats in baseball (not to sound like Bull Durham). He struck out eight but since his pitch count (94) went way too high, he was done after only four innings. He allowed five earned runs on six hits with two walks.

Oakland jumped on top early with a run in the first then four in the fourth. Yoenis Cespedes (yes, he's real) had an RBI single in the first before Cliff Pennington (2 hits) hit an RBI double and Jemile Weeks (2 hits, 2 runs) knocked in two with a single. Weeks later scored on Doubront's wild pitch.

Dustin Pedroia scored in the fourth on a ground out by David Ortiz.

Forgotten in the loss and comeback that fell short was some superb relief by Scott Atchison (2 innings), Southie resident Rich Hill (1.2 innings) and Matt Albers (1.1 innings) who combined in five innings of work to give up no runs, four hits and strike out six with no walks.

A's de-facto ace Brandon McCarthy (1-3) takes the ball tomorrow night (7:10 p.m., NESN) in the series finale against Daniel Bard (2-2). Both teams will be looking to clinch the series 2-1. Runs should be at a premium.

There was a flurry of roster moves today by the Red Sox and expect at least one more tomorrow. The Red Sox sent reliever Junichi Tazawa to Pawtucket and called up Jose Iglesias. It was a strange move since Kevin Youkilis is hurt (out of the lineup for the third straight game with back trouble) and a DL trip appears imminent for Youk who's body is rapidly breaking down. Will Middlebrooks couldn't be any hotter at Pawtucket and he plays third base. Weird. After tonight's game, Anderson was sent back down (yeah!) which seems to indicate that Aaron Cook will be called up (today was his deadline for opting out). It'll be interesting to see what role they use him in. He's been a decent MLB starting pitcher so I don't know how much he'll want to relieve-his likely role. I would love to see him go into the rotation and Bard go to the bullpen but that's not going to happen, at least at this time.

UPDATE 5/2: Try to keep up. Middlebrooks was called up today, along with Cook who will start on Saturday (the Texas Toughguy is skipping a start). Youk went on the DL and reliever Clayton Mortensen was also called up. Middlebrooks will make his MLB debut tonight, hitting eighth and playing third base.

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Well This Has Certainly Become Painful, Wakefield Goes Sixth Straight Start Without Picking Up Win No. 200

At what point do we agree that the novelty of reaching a milestone in baseball has worn off and it's time to pull the plug on a player's seemingly futile quest?

In the case of Tim Wakefield and the Boston Red Sox, that day gets closer and closer as he started his sixth straight game on the cusp of 200 career wins and once again he couldn't get it done.

This would be one thing if Dr. Creepy and Co. were trying to milk some more money out of Red Sox Nation but this team is in the middle of a pennant race (that means so much for determining playoff opponents).

This one was over early tonight as the Oakland A's (60-71) put a damper on what should be a long couple days with a 15-5 win over the Red Sox (80-51).

Boston got a run in the first as Adrian Gonzalez drove in Jacoby Ellsbury (2 runs, 2 hits, stolen base) for a 1-0 lead.

Unfortunately, Oakland didn't let yesterday's ridiculous loss to the Yankees affect them as they scored twice in the second inning and six times in the fourth. David DeJesus (3 RBIs, 2 runs, 2 hits) and Cliff Pennington (3 hits, 2 RBIs) had RBI singles in the second before the roof completely caved in on Wake and the Red Sox.

Scott Sizemore and Josh Willingham had two-run homers, sandwiched around a two-run single by Hideki Matsui.

That was it for Wakefield (6-6) as he departed after four depressing innings. He allowed eight runs (four earned) on eight hits with four walks and three strikeouts.

Dustin Pedroia (17th of the season) and David Ortiz (3 hits; 26th of the season) went back-to-back in the fourth, giving Boston some hope that they could comeback on Gio Gonzalez (11-11) and the A's but it wasn't to be.

Gonzalez wasn't particularly good but compared to Wakefield, he looked like Cliff Lee. In 5.2 innings, he allowed four earned runs on seven hits with three walks and five strikeouts.

Things got even more embarrassing in the late innings as Oakland piled up insurance runs (1 in the seventh, 4 in the eighth) on Scott Atchison (recalled from Pawtucket) and Matt Albers (4 earned runs). It was so bad that Darnell McDonald was summoned to pitch in the ninth and Willingham greeted him with a two-run double.

Josh Reddick got a two-run double of his own in the ninth, maybe that will get him going at the plate again. He's been lifeless lately.

Tomorrow promises to be a long day at Fenway, weather permitting. Jon Lester faces Guillermo Moscoso at high noon while Erik Bedard and rookie Graham Godfrey will try to conclude the shortened series at 5 p.m. before Hurricane Irene wreeks havoc on Massachusetts.

The Yankees similarly got smoked tonight, at Baltimore, so the Red Sox are still up a game on their main rivals in the AL East.

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