The Sox have not been in a good game for the last 7 days. Look at these scores starting with today and going backwards, 0-14, 2-6, 8-2, 3-10, 12-2, 8-3. One game was within 4 runs and that was really a 6-0 game, and the 8-3 game in Tampa was really a drubbing too. Now it's one thing to say that I'm getting bored and I'm mad about it, but it's another to look at what the effect it has on the team is.
Jenks has not pitched a competitive inning in 8 days. What happens when there's a 2-1 game in the 9th and suddenly we throw him back into the fire? What happens to the rest of the bullpen for that matter? What happens in a tie game when we have the winning run on third base with less than two? No one is used to getting that run in because every game has been a blow out one way or another. None of the starting pitchers have had any pressure on them. Either they go out there and pitch like a 4 letter word similar to poop, or they have a 6 run lead before they blink. How do they respond to a 0-0 game in the 7th?
There are no answers to these questions. And the way I see it the answers are more likely to be negative for the Sox than positive. Experience breeds success. If you are not used to playing in close games, you will not be used to winning close games. I'm not saying let up when we have the lead. I'm just saying that when we lose games we need to be able to take something from it. And when you are down 14-0 going into the 9th, there's not much to take away from that game.
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