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| Closing Time: Lackey, Red Sox get crushed by Rays | 09.09.11 at 9:58 pm ET |
What is flatter than flat?
After the Red Sox lost three of four games in Toronto, one Blue Jays source said that the Sox “look flat.” The Sox looked even worse in the series opener of a three-game set in Tampa Bay.
With a chance to crush the playoff ambitions of the Tampa Bay Rays, who entered the series trailing the Sox by 6 1/2 games in the wild card, the Sox instead looked like they had little to play for in losing 7-2 to the Rays. Starter John Lackey got hammered for five runs in just three innings, exiting the game after taking a liner off the shin, and the Sox offense did nothing against the Rays.
The Sox are still prohibitive favorites to make it to the playoffs, given that they still have a 5 1/2 game lead with 18 contests to play for the Sox and 17 for the Rays. Yet clouds are now entering a forecast that once seemed a foregone conclusion. With six games remaining between the Sox and Rays, however, the Rays continue to stoke their embers of hope.
WHAT WENT WRONG FOR THE RED SOX
–John Lackey is now deeply immersed in the worst season of his career and one of the worst in Red Sox franchise history. He has now gone four or fewer innings in five starts this year, the most in any season of his career. He’s allowed five or more runs in 10 outings this year — meaning that he has more disastrous starts than he does quality starts (8).
His 6.30 ERA this year is not only the worst in his career, but it’s also the worst in the majors, while also ranking as the worst in Red Sox history by a starter who has thrown at least 125 innings (Lackey is at 144 1/3 innings this year). If the survey is broadened to include Sox starters who have logged 100 or more innings, his mark ranks as the second worst in franchise history, behind Hall of Famer Lefty Grove, who had a 6.50 mark in 1934.
Of particular note, Lackey’s fastball averaged 91 mph and topped out at 93 mph, down slightly from where he’d been in July and August (averaging 92 mph and topping out around 94-95 mph). In his last four starts, he’s 1-3 with a 7.06 ERA, 13 walks and just 11 strikeouts.
–Lackey’s poor outing contributed to a Sox rotation that is now in shambles. Lackey, Josh Beckett and Erik Bedard are all dealing with different varieties of ailments. Lackey, Tim Wakefield and Andrew Miller have all been highly inconsistent.
In their last 11 games, Sox starters have combined to produce two quality starts. In that span, they have a 6.22 ERA, and the team is 3-8 in that span.
–The Red Sox lineup was once again dominated by a Rays starter. This time, Wade Davis was the author of Boston’s undoing, tossing a complete game in which he allowed just two runs. The Rays now have five straight starts of at least eight innings and three or fewer runs against the Sox, with a 1.50 ERA and a .118 average against.
–Jed Lowrie, who is likely to see more playing time with Kevin Youkilis sidelined, went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. He is now 1-for-15 in September, and in just over a month since coming back from the DL, he is hitting .235 with a .287 OBP, .294 slugging mark and .581 OPS.
WHAT WENT RIGHT FOR THE RED SOX
–Jacoby Ellsbury extended his hitting streak to 14 games with an infield single in the sixth inning. However, he saw his run of five straight games with doubles come to an end. He was one game short of tying the Sox’ longest streak of games with doubles since at least 1919; both Jason Varitek (2004) and Bil Regan (1929) had two-baggers in six straight games.
–Josh Reddick is quietly enjoying a hot streak. The right fielder went 2-for-3 on Friday, and is now 11-for-21 (.524) with four doubles and a homer during a six-game hitting streak.
–Franklin Morales had a strong inning of work, striking out a pair of batters in a clean eighth inning of work.
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Boston Red Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays - Fenway Park, Boston, MA
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