A Few Bad Calls, A Few Twins' Rallies, Extend Losing Streak to Three (14-18)

Je"You've got to be kidding me" (right) was the line of this game, as the Sox went down 9-2 to the Twins. In the top of the 1st, Trevor Plouffe knocked a Tim Wakefield knuckler over the green monster to make it 1-0 Twins. A 2-run single in the the top of the second made it 3-0, before something weird happened. So, Umpire Angel Hernandez (right) called a balk on Tim Wakefield, as he easily picked Denard Span off of first base for the final out of the inning. Normally in a balk, the runners advance one base, which is in the rulebook, but Hernandez let Ben Revere score from second, also, if the ball is put in play, as it was, the balk doesn't count, basically, Angel Hernandez should be the umpire for middle school baseball. A homer by J.D. Drew in the 2nd and by Adrian Gonzalez in the 4th made it 4-2 Twins. However, in the top of the fifth, a 2-run double by Danny Valencia, and a very costly error by Jed Lowrie pushed the score to 8-2 Twins. In the top of the 6th, another Jed Lowrie error pushed it to 9-2 Twins.

This was a very hard game for the Red Sox, Tim Wakefield allowed 8 runs, 6 earned in 4 1/3 innings. However, Alfredo Aceves did a great job in relief, allowing just a run through 4 2/3 innings, as he pitched longer than Wakefield. Jacoby Ellsbury had a pretty good game, going 2-4. Adrian Gonzalez went 1-4 with a home run, as he is now .305/3/22, as he is doing very well this year. Kevin Youkilis went 1-3 with a walk, pushing that batting average up to a marvelous .237. J.D. Drew went 1-4 with a home run, as he is now .226/2/6, as he has not been so good this year. Carl Crawford and Jarrod Saltalamacchia each went 1-3 with 2 strikeouts, putting each of their batting averages flat at .200. Today, at 1:10, Clay Buchholz (2-3/4.81/17) will go up against Brian Duensing (2-1/2.91/23) and the Twins.

Bright Spots:

Alfredo Aceves- 1 run in 4 2/3 innings, as he pitched very well out of the bullpen

Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-4

Adrian Gonzalez- 1-4 with a home run

Kevin Youkilis- 1-3 with a walk

J.D. Drew- 1-4 with a homer

Dull Spots:

Tim Wakefield- 8 runs, 6 earned in 4 1/3 innings

Dustin Pedroia- 0-3 with 2 strikeouts

David Ortiz- 0-4

Jed Lowrie- 0-3 with 2 very costly errors

I am very unhappy with this game, and with the umpiring crew.