Bad game...bad game

You knew it was going to be a disaster when they announced the lineups.

“Pitching for Boston, Number 36, Brad Penny.”

It got worse when Derek Jeter immediately lined a double down the right field line. When is some team going to come up with a Jeter shift and move every fielder down the right field line when he comes up?

For what seems like the ninth time in a row, Brad Penny had nothing. His pitching pattern consists of throwing fastball after fastball, and then turning around to see how far the batter hit it. As RemDawg pointed out (great to have him back) he can’t get whatever his other pitches are over the plate so he doesn’t throw them. It’s just fastballs and they are getting hit hard.

What does John Farrell say when he trudges to the mound every inning? Why does he not say “throw your breaking ball” or something like that? Do coaches have any power any more? It took three-quarters of the season to get Jonathan Papelbon to move his set position back to his belt. But, I digress.

The second inning was no better than the first, as Penny let a one-run deficit become a five-run deficit, which then became an 11-run deficit by the time Michael Bowden’s fifth-inning meltdown ended.

Then the Sox started their comeback, and ended up using Sergio Mitre for a little batting practice, but it’s sort of impossible to come back when the other team keeps scoring runs as well. In all, the former “best bullpen in baseball” gave up 12 runs on 13 hits in five innings. Now, Theo is going back to the baseball scrap heap and trying to bring Billy Wagner in on a waiver deal. Wagner is just coming back from Tommy John surgery. All our pitchers are coming back from something.

Positives? Well, Jacoby Ellsbury tied the club record with his 54^th stolen base and Rocco Baldelli came off the DL.

Today, Takashi Saito pitches against A.J. Burnett, in another situation where we send a retread or a rookie against one of the top pitchers in baseball. This year has gone off the track quickly and in spite of the sweep against the Blue Jays, it doesn’t look like it’s coming back.

Penny’s comment after the game was “I feel good. I’m healthy.” Well, I’m healthy, too, but I can’t pitch in the majors either.