Ho-hum Red Sox play uninspired baseball in 8-0 drubbing from Major League worst Mariners

Compared to last night, Fenway Park was much more serene this evening. Too serene. The Red Sox played uninspired baseball on the mound, in the field and at the plate as they dropped an 8-0 laugher to Major League Baseball's worst team, the Seattle Mariners.

Without Jacoby Ellsbury, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, the lineup showed little life. Though Boston had at least one base runner in ever inning against Seattle starter Felix Hernandez, it did not get a clutch hit. Overall, the Red Sox stranded nine runners.

While the Red Sox bats faltered, Bartolo Colon saw his sliders and change-ups knocked around the field. Of course, Colon hurt his own cause with two critical errors. The ugliness started in the top of the first inning. With two on and one out, Adrian Beltre hit a tapper back to Colon, who could have escaped damage with an inning-ending double play. Instead, he threw the ball into center field, allowing Jose Lopez to score. Seattle added another run on Jose Vidro's ground out for a 2-0 lead.

The Red Sox kept threatening to score, but falling short. The Mariners didn't waste their opportunities. They added a third run in the third when Ichiro reached base on a throwing error by Mike Lowell that Kevin Youkilis should have snared. Ichiro advanced to second on Lopez's single and then moved to third when Colon's pickoff attempt sailed into center field. Moments later, Ichiro scored on Adrian Beltre's sacrifice fly.

Seattle kept adding runs off Colon, including a two-run single by Ichiro in the fourth and an RBI single from Richie Sexson in the fifth. Most of the run-scoring hits were struck off Colon's sliders and change-ups, which were obviously ineffective. After three solid starts to begin his Red Sox career, Colon was reached for six runs (three earned) and eight hits in five innings. In reality, Colon was responsible for five of the runs. The rule that allows a pitcher not to be charged with an earned run when he commits an error makes no sense and should be changed.

Even though Colon usually does not hurt himself with errors, he must start improving the bite on his sliders and the location of his change-ups if he is going to be effective over the long term. His fast ball is strong, but Major League hitters eventually pound a pitcher who sticks with heaters.

As for the Red Sox bullpen, after a 1-2-3 sixth inning, David Aardsma served up a lead off double to Raul Ibanez, a walk to Beltre and an RBI single to Jose Vidro in the seventh. Javier Lopez entered an induced a double play grounder from Wladimir Balentein but then permitted an RBI base hit by Sexson for the Mariners' eighth and final run.

Boston's lone bright spot on offense was Sean Casey, who was 3-for-4 (including a double) and is now hitting .378. The Red Sox have the depth to withstand the injury to Ortiz, but life without Ramirez (the run producer) and Ellsbury (the tablesetter) does not have a pleasant taste. Dustin Pedroia continues to slump (his average is down to .266) and Julio Lugo remains an automatic out in the No. 9 spot at .267 with no home runs and 13 RBI.

Not only is Lugo grounding into double plays and killing rallies on a nightly basis, he is not driving in runs as he did last season, and his porous defense is well-documented. If Lugo continues to contribute little at the plate in the second half, I can envision the Red Sox giving Jed Lowrie a chance, or dealing Lugo for a rental shortstop.

If the Sox do switch their lineup and give Lowrie a shot at shortstop, it will be nothing new for Terry Francona. The skipper has used multiple lineups this season since the Red Sox have been ravaed by the flu bug and injuries, and have rarely fielded the ideal starting nine of Ellsbury, Pedroia, Ortiz, Ramirez, Lowell, Youkilis, Drew, Varitek and Lugo (I prefer Lowrie's name here).

Francona will have more adjustments to make for the short term with Dice-K and Ortiz out, Ellsbury and Ramirez banged up and now Coco Crisp, Sean Casey and Jon Lester hit with suspensions resulting from last night's fracas.

Tampa Bay was hit hard with James Shields getting six games, Jonny Gomes and Edwin Jackson five games each, Carl Crawford four games and Akinori Iwamura three games.

Lester received a five-game break for throwing at a Rays hitter after a warning was issued. He did not appeal and started serving his time today. Since the Red Sox have an off day on Monday, Colon will start in Lester's place on the regular four day's rest on Wednesday against Baltimore while Lester will take the mound again on Thursday versus the Orioles.

Crisp received the harshest punishment and immediately appealed his seven-game suspension. Casey was tagged with a three-game banishment for throwing a punch in the melee. The suspensions are staggered so the impacted team is not left too short-handed. A team is not permitted to call up a minor leaguer to replace the suspended player. With Ortiz out and Ramirez hurting, the loss of Casey will be felt. Since Ellsbury's wrist is sore, Crisp's suspension will hurt. It is yet to be determined with Crisp and Casey will serve their time, and if Crisp's sentence is reduced.

For the Red Sox, it is just another hurdle to climb in a season of obstacles. So far, Boston is winning the race.