Red Sox Fall Out of First Place

The Red Sox had lost 3 in a row and went into this game versus the Texas Rangers with their ace Josh Beckett on the mound, so Sox Nation was expecting to take this one, especially being tied for first with the dreaded Yankees. With Texas is sending their 2 game starter rookie T. Hunter at us who is 1-1 this year, so the odds had to be on the Sox.

After Hunter had a 1,2,3 inning Beckett came out and looked tired in the 1st inning allowing 2 earned runs and his fastball was only reaching 91, which is unlike Beckett. So the Sox would head out of the 1st inning down 2-0 and on this night this is all the Rangers would need-- because the Red Sox offense didn't show!!  Hunter shut us down and held the lead until the 6th inning when the Sox were able to knock in 1 to make it 2-1. Bottom of the next inning Kinsler leads off with a double later scoring and the Rangers added another in the next inning so it was now 4-1 and that was all Beckett could do.  He threw 104 pitches only allowed 7 hits but 4 earned runs and did have 7 strikeouts, not Beckett's best performance, but I believe if he had a little offensive help this game would have gone differently.

The Sox did score 1 in the 9th, but too little too late and the Sox lost 4-2 and are now a game behind the Yankees, because NY beat Baltimore 6-4 and have won 5 in a row. So today we have Buchholz getting his second start against V. Padilla because all-star T. Wakefield has a lower back strain and has been placed on the DL, for how long has yet to be released!! Buchholz is worthy to cover Wake, but I would feel better to know he is going to be back at some point.  So game-time 8:05 EST in Texas and we need a win to break out of this losing streak, So go Sox!!!!