Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Sox rally for tie but fall to Jays
A late comeback that fell just short couldn't eclipse a potential problem for the Boston Red Sox: What's wrong with Matt Clement?
Boston used a trio of homers -- including a three-run blast from Jason Varitek -- to erase a 6-0 deficit, but pinch-hitter Shea Hillenbrand delivered the game-winning single in the eighth inning as the Toronto Blue Jays topped the Red Sox, 7-6.
It took a lot of offense to undo the damage done by Clement, who had a rough outing for the second start in a row. He gave up six runs in just 3 1/3 innings, his shortest outing of the year.
"It's just a very embarrassing, pitiful outing," said Clement. "There's no excuses for that. At this level, you can't do that. You can't continue to put your team in a bad situation.
"I feel like I let the team down. The 'L' should be beside my name and not anybody else's tonight."
The "L" instead belongs to reliever David Riske (0-1), who began the eighth by giving up a double to Bengie Molina. Pinch-runner Eric Hinske went to third on a sacrifice bunt and trotted home when Hillenbrand singled through a drawn-in infield.
Riske was forced into the eighth-inning role because Mike Timlin is on the disabled list and neither Julian Tavarez nor Rudy Seanez were available.
Manager Terry Francona said that Timlin's absence will force some changes in the Boston bullpen.
"There's going to be guys that pitch later in the game that haven't so far this season, that's for sure," said Francona.
The Red Sox, who learned earlier on Monday that David Wells won't be able to make his scheduled start on Wednesday, won't be cheered by another rocky outing from Clement, who allowed eight runs to the Yankees in his last start, one that also saw him take a line drive off his right ankle.
Concerned about that tender ankle, Francona, pitching coach Al Nipper and trainer Paul Lessard all huddled on the mound with Clement as he struggled through the fourth. Healthy or not, Clement's night lasted just one more batter when Alex Rios chased him with a two-run single.
"He just got into so many hitters' counts, and when you do that, good hitters like they have start taking a part of the plate or sitting on a pitch, getting their arms extended," Francona said. "It's commanding the strike zone, pounding the strike zone, and when that doesn't happen, these guys will make you pay."
A downcast Clement offered no explanation but pledged to work himself back into shape.
"I've got to figure out a way to execute better, become a more consistent pitcher like I have been in the past, and get it done now," he said. "I've got to figure out a way to do this so I can help this team out.
"In a situation like this, you've got to figure out a way to find the silver lining. It's not easy to do. It wasn't that long ago that I threw the ball well. I at least have something I can go back and compare and see what the heck the difference was.
"Two starts ago -- in Philadelphia -- was as good as I've thrown in a long time, so it's not like I have to go back too far. Unfortunately, these two outings came in a bunch and at a time that we really didn't need as a pitching staff."
With Boston trailing, 6-0, in the fifth, Coco Crisp started the comeback with a solo home run, his first of the season.
The Sox got closer in the sixth on a two-run homer by Manny Ramirez, then tied it in the eighth on Varitek's two-out blast into the right-field bullpen.
"That's not the way you want to play that game, but we did a great job to get that game tied," said Francona. "It's a hard way to play."
Mark Loretta went 2-for-4 with two singles, extending his hitting streak to 14 games. That's the longest active streak in the Major Leagues.
A late comeback that fell just short couldn't eclipse a potential problem for the Boston Red Sox: What's wrong with Matt Clement?
Boston used a trio of homers -- including a three-run blast from Jason Varitek -- to erase a 6-0 deficit, but pinch-hitter Shea Hillenbrand delivered the game-winning single in the eighth inning as the Toronto Blue Jays topped the Red Sox, 7-6.
It took a lot of offense to undo the damage done by Clement, who had a rough outing for the second start in a row. He gave up six runs in just 3 1/3 innings, his shortest outing of the year.
"It's just a very embarrassing, pitiful outing," said Clement. "There's no excuses for that. At this level, you can't do that. You can't continue to put your team in a bad situation.
"I feel like I let the team down. The 'L' should be beside my name and not anybody else's tonight."
The "L" instead belongs to reliever David Riske (0-1), who began the eighth by giving up a double to Bengie Molina. Pinch-runner Eric Hinske went to third on a sacrifice bunt and trotted home when Hillenbrand singled through a drawn-in infield.
Riske was forced into the eighth-inning role because Mike Timlin is on the disabled list and neither Julian Tavarez nor Rudy Seanez were available.
Manager Terry Francona said that Timlin's absence will force some changes in the Boston bullpen.
"There's going to be guys that pitch later in the game that haven't so far this season, that's for sure," said Francona.
The Red Sox, who learned earlier on Monday that David Wells won't be able to make his scheduled start on Wednesday, won't be cheered by another rocky outing from Clement, who allowed eight runs to the Yankees in his last start, one that also saw him take a line drive off his right ankle.
Concerned about that tender ankle, Francona, pitching coach Al Nipper and trainer Paul Lessard all huddled on the mound with Clement as he struggled through the fourth. Healthy or not, Clement's night lasted just one more batter when Alex Rios chased him with a two-run single.
"He just got into so many hitters' counts, and when you do that, good hitters like they have start taking a part of the plate or sitting on a pitch, getting their arms extended," Francona said. "It's commanding the strike zone, pounding the strike zone, and when that doesn't happen, these guys will make you pay."
A downcast Clement offered no explanation but pledged to work himself back into shape.
"I've got to figure out a way to execute better, become a more consistent pitcher like I have been in the past, and get it done now," he said. "I've got to figure out a way to do this so I can help this team out.
"In a situation like this, you've got to figure out a way to find the silver lining. It's not easy to do. It wasn't that long ago that I threw the ball well. I at least have something I can go back and compare and see what the heck the difference was.
"Two starts ago -- in Philadelphia -- was as good as I've thrown in a long time, so it's not like I have to go back too far. Unfortunately, these two outings came in a bunch and at a time that we really didn't need as a pitching staff."
With Boston trailing, 6-0, in the fifth, Coco Crisp started the comeback with a solo home run, his first of the season.
The Sox got closer in the sixth on a two-run homer by Manny Ramirez, then tied it in the eighth on Varitek's two-out blast into the right-field bullpen.
"That's not the way you want to play that game, but we did a great job to get that game tied," said Francona. "It's a hard way to play."
Mark Loretta went 2-for-4 with two singles, extending his hitting streak to 14 games. That's the longest active streak in the Major Leagues.
// posted by jesse @ 12:54 PM 
