Justified or not, i'm going to use Troy O'Leary as my wipping boy today. HE lost this game! It started when he was picked off first base after driving in a run early in the game. Getting caught rounding first too much with two outs is forgivable, you have to make sure the runs scores, and if getting into a rundown does it, then fine. But there would be more to come and this pick was just the beggining.

Fast forward to the ninth inning, two outs, fly ball hit to left. It went for a double (hit off the base of the wall) but that is a catch that has to be made, it wasn't routine but it was more than makeable. Troy has to make that play. Due to that failure to get the third out Rod Beck served up another double to allow the tying run to score sending it to extras.

In the Twins 3-Run 10th a bases loaded/clearing double was hit down the left field line. Only two runs should have scored, but due to O'Leary again not coming up with it cleanly (and a poor throw to the cut off man) the runner from first scored as well. That third run ended up not making a difference, but it was another added factor, and possibly could have changed strategies had the deficit been two instead of three.

Then in the bottom of the 10th with a run in and a man on third, Troy came up as the potential tying run. Pop-up, game OVER! Had a chance to make up for his fumblings, but instead is feeling my wrath.

I'm probably way out of line here just blaming one, i'm sure other things happend that escape me at the moment. But the game just ended (as I write this) and i'm ticked.

Poor Pedro.

Is it me or was it just 2-3 years ago when we started the season winning something like eight games in our final at bat? This season of our seven losses, four have been lost in the final inning. ARGH!!!!!

I'll be there tonight behind the Sox dugout to close out this series with Minnesota. Things don't get much easier with lefty Eric Milton on the hill, but Nomo will have to rise the challenge.

paul@redsox2000.com