The Sox had come from behind against the best pitcher in baseball, given themselves a 6-5 lead. Even John Lackey contributed to the offense, going 2 for 3 with a double, and scoring the go ahead run. All they needed was a scoreless 9th from Papelbon, and they would have been only the 2nd team to give Ubaldo Jimenez a loss.
Look, Papelbon is still quite clearly this team's Closer. And this was only his 2nd blown save of the season. Then again, it was also his 4th loss. The fact of the matter is, he's not invulnerable anymore. It happens with closers. He has an ERA of 3.64, and a WHIP of 1.21. Not horrible, but not magnificent. So we should expect games like this.
And we should brace for an entire season like this. These guys can find ways to win, like they did against the Dodgers. They can also find ways to lose, like they've done against the Rockies. They are an inconsistent bunch of variables. So try not to get so high when they win 6 in a row, and try not to get so low when they blow a game like this one.
Daisuke returns tonight against Jason Hammel.
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