Sox 'Neal' to Tigers (L8-3) Season 13-12

The only consistency is inconsistency. First, the good news. Jeremy Bonderman is on my fantasy team. The good news ends there.

The Sox played the Tigers tough for five innings, behind a decent appearance from Tampa castoff Jeremy Gonzalez. Gonzalez had seven strikeouts in five innings, allowing six hits. Our Jeremy had the knack of throwing an occasional meatball, unlike Blaine Neal, yet another Padre infiltrator onto the Sox roster. Neal relieved Gonzalez with a gas can and Northeastern product Carlos Pena lit him up to the tune of a two-run shot, the first of his two for the night.

Matt Mantei followed up with a strong 1 2/3 innings before the Tigers savaged Alan Embree for three runs and four hits in 2/3rds of an inning.

The Tigers had a rarity with three triples on the night, with Johnny Damon adding a fourth as well as two other hits to raise his average to .368.

Questions for the post-debacle press conference? David McCarty was designated for assignment. McCarty had two hits in four appearances without a homer and played good defense. Kevin Millar has no homers and an OPS of .684 with mediocre defense. Huh? Blaine Neal has shown just about nothing this year, with an ERA of 9.00 and a WHIP ratio in the stratosphere. Patty Paige? Is that all their is? The Sox bullpen is making me long for the days of Allen Ripley and 'Five-Inning' Frank Castillo.

Pitching Grades: mostly without annotation (note that the most misleading statistic in pitching is wins in isolation) It's all Geek to me.

Curt Schilling: Incomplete
David Wells: B- (two shutouts)
Bronson Arroyo: B+
Tim Wakefield: A-
Matt Clement: B-
Jeremy Gonzalex: B- (limited observation)

Overall starters grade: B-

Lenny Dinardo: A (very limited observation)
Alan Embree: C
Mike Timlin: A
Keith Foulke: C-
Matt Mantei: C+
Blaine Neal: D
Mike Myers: B-
John Halama: C+ (easy questions so far)

Overall relief grade: C-



Farm Aid. The Portland Sea Dogs are tied up 1-1 in the eighth at New Britain. The game is suspended in a rain delay. Southpaw premium prospect Jon Lester has worked seven innings yielding four hits, two walks and a run. Dustin Pedroia (.325) doubled in Jeff Bailey in the sixth to tie the game.

Wilmington, behind Anibal Sanchez, stopped Potomac 6-2. Sanchez worked six innings with nine strikeouts, no earned runs, and no walks, lowering his ERA to 2.42. In 26 innings, he has allowed 18 hits and has a strikeout to walk ratio of 44 to 1. At some point, the Sox have to move him up to Portland to see what he looks like at the next level as statistically he is overmatching the Carolina League.