Gagne, Sox choke again in Baltimore

Entering this weekend's three-game series at Baltimore, the Red Sox owned a 62-1 record when leading after seven innings. It is now 63-3. As he did on Friday night, Eric Gagne spoiled an exceptional outing by a Boston starting pitcher by surrendering the lead. On Friday, he allowed four runs in the eighth inning after the Sox had claimed a 5-1 lead in the top half of the frame. This afternoon, he served up a two-run home run to Miguel Tejada in the eighth, erasing a 3-1 Red Sox advantage. It would prove costly, as Kevin Millar blasted a walk-off three-run homer off Kyle Snyder in the bottom of the 10th, propelling the Orioles to a 6-3 victory.

Matsuzaka should have earned the win on Friday, as should have Schilling today, and the Sox should have recorded a three-game sweep. Instead, Boston dropped two out of three and now has only a four-game lead over the New York Yankees in the American League East.

Gagne is not the lone culprit in this loss. Terry Francona is partly responsible for calling upon the struggling reliever in the first place. And, yet again, the Sox bats were helpless with runners in scoring position, and when they needed a big hit. The top of the 10th was a prime example. David Ortiz popped out to open the inning against Jamie Walker. Chad Bradford entered, and induced a soft ground out from Manny Ramirez. J.D. Drew roped his third single of the game, but then Mike Lowell popped out to end the inning.

Early in the game, when they tend to produce, Ortiz doubled and Ramirez followed with an RBI double off Baltimore starter Steve Trachsel. Ramirez cost the Red Sox a run when he was thrown out after attempting to take third on a pitch that bounced a short distance from catcher Paul Bako. Moments later, Drew laced a single into right field, but Lowell lined out to third baseman Melvin Mora to end the threat. Mora saved two runs in the second when he made a diving stab of Julio Lugo's liner that appeared to be headed into the left field corner.

The Sox stranded nine runners this afternoon, and had plenty of chances against Trachsel, who allowed three runs and 10 hits in 6.1 innings.  Boston was held scoreless by the Orioles bullpen, managing one hit in 3.2 innings off four relievers.

Francona's mismanagement of the pitching staff haunted the Red Sox. This is becoming such a common theme that I might as well cut and paste the preceding sentence in every game recap regarding a Red Sox loss. In the eighth, Hideki Okajima walked Corey Patterson to open the inning, and then induced a force out from Nick Markakis. Francona summoned Gagne to face Miguel Tejada, who smashed a 3-2 offering over the left field fence to tie the game at 3-3.

Francona seemed content to lose the game in the 10th when Snyder allowed singles to Patterson and Markakis to start the inning. With no action in the Sox bullpen, Francona stuck with Snyder, who retired Tejada on a pop out. Surprisingly, Francona not only decided to allow Snyder to pitch to Millar, who was 3-for-4 against the right-hander before the walk-off home run, but he did not intentionally walk Millar when Markakis stole second base.

Simply put, the Red Sox are in trouble, not just because the Yankees are playing well, but because Gagne is struggling, the bats are invisible after the sixth inning and Francona continues to hurt the team with his inability to manage a pitching staff. The fact that Boston has a three-game series against Tampa Bay and the Yankees prepare for a three-game set with the Orioles (who have owned the Yankees this season) offers Red Sox Nation little consolation. The AL East title and a wild card berth are in jeopardy, as is Francona's job and my sanity.