Is it any wonder that we lost Thursday night's game to second-place Baltimore?

Please do not blame it on the rain. Yes, it was a close game and it would have been nice to see all nine innings. David Wells pitched well enough - allowing three runs in six innings. And Baltimore's Daniel Cabrera didn't pitch as well but still managed a win although he walked five. Go figure.

You may want to blame Trot Nixon, who got caught in no man's land and was picked off second base with the bases loaded. That killed a sure rally.

But the blame should really go to Terry Francona.

Now I believe in days off. It's important to keep everyone fresh, rested, happy. But not everyone should get a day off at the same time.

Boston's lineup looked weak. No Johnny Damon (perhaps because of his speech supporting Mike Timlin for the open closer's role). Instead, Adam Stern played center. No Edgar Renteria, instead they played the newly-acquired Alex Cora. Alex Cora? How is he any different than Ramon Vasquez? Cora is batting a whopping .201 so far this year. Seems like a very lateral move to me. I'm sure Theo Epstein knows something I don't.

No Manny Ramirez, American League leader in RBIs and home runs.

No Jason Varitek, a defensive and offensive threat behind the plate.

I grant you that these guys will not get the same time off as the rest of the team since they''ll participate in the All Star Game Tuesday. However, must they all be absent when facing, what I would call a pretty important game, against a divisional rival who just happens to be just three games behind?

I think not. Besides a dayoff in the majors isn't like a day off anywhere else. All of those guys were available, sitting in the dugout. They'll still get plenty of rest during the "break." Monday and Wednesday are off days and they will only play three innings at most during the Game itself.

The threat of rain was real all day. Francona must have known that a shortened or postponed game was a definite possibility. Why then pick Thursday to lose a game?

What kind of message are you sending to David Wells? "Okay, David, pitch lights out because if you're going to win, you'll have to pitch a shutout and hope we score a run."

The Red Sox only recorded three hits all from regular starters - Trot Nixon (2) and David Ortiz (1).

I'm disgusted and at a loss.

The clubhouse appears to be in disarray. Players are in the midst of forming camps - those who think Timlin should have the job and those who are supporting the manager's decision - putting Schilling in the pen. Meanwhile, the Globe reports, Schilling still needs some work in that role. The Boston Herald says Francona and Damon have closed the book in the subject. I doubt it is the end.

Other players are packing their bags. Kevin Millar has apparently asked for a trade and Jay Payton is on his way out of town too. They're both upset about their role on the team.
Did Payton really think the Sox would play him over Damon or Nixon?

Millar is a different story. He truly thought he could play first base, but he simply is not that good defensively or offensively.

According to the Boston Globe, The Sox are making moves for the playoff run. They'll be adding a reliever from the A's - submarine pitcher Adam Bradford. This makes perfect sense if you believe the Baltimore Sun's article today: AL East race could hinge on which way the bullpen doors swing. I tend to agree.

But something has to get this team in a better mood. When the clubhouse isn't happy, the losses mount. The Sox can ill afford that.

On another note: The New York Post has an interesting article today by Phil Mushnik. Mushnik writes about how he dislikes what YES' radio announcers, Jon Ster and Bob Lorenz, are doing with word play. I suggest you all read it to appreciate how lucky we are to have the radio and television broadcasters we do.

I've been looking around for some Yankee movement. There has really been one recent call up, Melky Cabrera. He, in fact, helped the team win Thursday's game. The New York Daily News writes about the 20-year-old. Other than that, the Yankees have just been adding to the disabled list. In a New York Times article, Tom Gordon will most likely be joining Carl Pavano on the disabled list after experiencing a stiff arm.

It's amazing they have been able to gain ground. They are now only 3 1/2 games back. Yikes!

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