Royals 4, Red Sox 3

The umpires strike back. That's all Eck could talk about on the NESN broadcast last night, was the umpires. Jim Rice touched on it in the postgame. And I'm sure there are many out there who are holding the umpiring responsible for last night's loss. But let's lose with some dignity here, folks. Do the Sox need perfect umpiring to beat the Royals? Is that how low this team has sunk?

The Red Sox failed at a number of little things last night. Catching a ball on a bounce thrown in from the outfield. That's not too hard is it?

The Sox failed at a number of large things last night. Getting hits with runners in scoring position. Failing to make Bruce Chen look like Bruce Chen.

I'm still waiting for Lester to be as elite as he claimed he ought to be viewed as. He wasn't bad last night. He could've had more help behind him. But he hasn't been an Ace this year, he hasn't even been a good #2. He's 1-3 with a 4.29 ERA and he's had 30+ pitch innings in 4 starts already. He's got to be more efficient than that.

And elite pitchers are able to pitch around bad calls and bad luck.

This was the tenth series of the season for the Sox. They've lost 7 and won 3. Close to a fifth of the season is gone and the Sox are on pace for 65 wins.

They open a 4 game series with the Indians, who lead the AL Central. Derek Lowe, who I'm told is a very respectable golfer, opposes Josh Beckett. Tee-time, I mean first pitch is scheduled for 7:10pm. I'm going to milk that Beckett story until I get cheese.

-The Captain

Red Sox @ Royals Preview

Remember a week ago when the Red Sox were .500 and we all thought "well, they have an easy schedule coming up, we should be right back in this". Yea, well now the Red Sox are 12-17, 6 1/2 games out of first, and have injuries piling up. Middlebrooks says his injury isn't serious and that maybe he will be playing tonight. We haven't got the lineup for tonight yet, but I would be surprised if he was.

Tonight we get Lester vs Chen. In every way this should be an easy win. Lester ( is 100X the player Chen is. Lester has had success against the Royals in his career (5-1 with a 1.30 ERA in seven career starts), and yet can you fell all that confident? You just never know what team will show up. Maybe Middlebrooks has a tee time for early tomorrow morning and doesn't feel like playing, who knows?

Chen sucks. He is 0-4 on the season with a 4.98 ERA, and is 3-6 with a 5.98 against the Red Sox in his career. I'll pick the Red Sox tonight, and they better fucking win, because there is no reason to lose a series against the Royals.

Red Sox win 9-2
Player of the Game: Lester
Game starts at 8:10pm

Royals 6, Red Sox 4

For the most part, Daniel Bard has adjusted well to his new role as a starting pitcher. One thing he seems to be struggling with is ignoring baserunners. As a reliever, he didn't worry about them. He'd just focus on the batter, get the 3 outs he needed to get, and essentially ignore any baserunners he inherited or allowed.

Last night he became preoccupied with baserunners in the 2nd inning. And in that one inning he threw a wild pitch, balked twice, and surrendered 3 runs. And it could have been much worse.

He was able to get over it and move on. Which is one very promising thing I've noticed in his starts.

He kept his pitch count low, but started to struggle in the 7th. He got out of a jam thanks to some bunts, but walked two to lead off the 8th. And with no Daniel Bard in the bullpen, Valentine was forced to bring in Albers. Who gave up a 3 run homer.

Right now, especially with Cook and Matsuzaka on the DL and Buchholz struggling, the Sox need Bard in the rotation. But if these guys get healthy, I think you have to consider moving Bard back to the pen. While you get more innings from him in the rotation, what's the point of getting 7 good innings from him or any starter if the bullpen can't consistently give you 2 good innings to close the game.

Anyway, Will Middlebrooks left the game with tightness in his hamstring. Hopefully that's just a precautionary thing. He was 1 for 1 with a double, and is the first player since Enos Slaughter to start off his career with extra-base hits in each of his first 5 games.

Jon Lester faces Bruce Chen tonight. Chen is 0-4, with a few good starts and a few horrible starts.

-The Captain

Red Sox @ Royals Preview

DP made the comment the other day that Danny Duffy is the best pitcher the Royals have and I 100% agree. Duffy is a very good left hander that has more K's (26) then innings (22 2/3). He is currently 2-2 with a 3.57 ERA. Duffy has faced the Red Sox twice in his career. Duffy lasted only 3 2/3 innings while surrendering six runs in a loss at Fenway Park in July, but pitched better at home a month later giving up two runs and five hits over six innings during a 6-1 loss.

The Red Sox counter with Bard, who is 2-3 with a 4.38 ERA. Last time out Bard struggled letting up 4 runs over 5 1/3 innings to Oakland with only 1 K. The one strikeout I found to be alarming. Overall, Bard hasn't been bad for the Red Sox. He has showed promise as a starter, but when you covert a guy like Bard from bullpen to starter he is going to have an up and down type of year.

The I am picking the Red Sox tonight is because of how bad the Royals have been at home (2-13).

Red Sox win 6-5
Player of the Game: Middlebrooks
Game starts at 8:10pm

Red Sox 11, Royals 5

The Sox needed this. They were facing an inferior pitcher on an inferior team and they really needed to stop losing games. Doubront did his job. The offense did the rest.

Will Middlebrooks has impressed me as a hitter. He hit two more homeruns. He knocked in 5, all with 2 outs. That's the type of clutch hitting the Sox have been missing.

The Sox got 16 hits and walked 7 times. They combined to hit 4 homers, 3 doubles, and a triple.

Doubront pitched well enough. Although I don't know why Valentine didn't pull him after 105 pitches. This is a converted reliever, a #5 starter. As much as the bullpen has struggled this season, I'll take a fresh Vicente Padilla over a 105+ pitch Felix Doubront in any situation. What are you going to realistically get from Doubront after 105 pitches?

Valentine's pitching decisions haven't made much sense to me. I don't think he's that good of a manager.

The Red Sox need to capitalize on this trip to Kansas City. Bard faces Danny Duffy tonight. Who is Danny Duffy? He's some dude that throws baseballs for the Royals. He's not that good.

-The Captain

Red Sox @ Royals Preview

Red Sox (11-16) have been horrid lately. The good news is that the Royals (9-18) have been worse. That really should make you feel that much better, but the Red Sox should win tonight as Doubront faces Sanchez.

Jonathan Sanchez is a name and nothing else. He fucking sucks. He is 1-1 with a 5.24, and is yet to pitch more then 5 innings in any start this year. Sanchez won his only start against the Red Sox while with San Francisco on June 25, 2010. He gave up three runs, three hits and four walks in 5 1/3 innings.

Doubront gave up five runs in four innings of a 5-3 loss to Oakland on Tuesday. He is going to need to do a lot better then that tonight, as the Red Sox bullpen really could use a night off. It is asking a lot, but the Red Sox really ned 7 innings out of him.

For whatever reason I trust Doubront.

Red Sox win 8-5
Player of the Game: Pedroia
Game starts at 8:10pm