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GARY TANGUAY: Welcome back to 98.5 The Sports Hub, WBZ-FM, you're new home for Boston Sports. This is Tanguay and Zolak. I am Gary Tanguay, along with my partner former New England Patriots quarterback SCOTT ZOLAK.
ZOLAK: Good morning everyone.
TANGUAY: And all the buzz in town is focused on that awful loss the Sox had last night to the Orioles.
ZOLAK: That one was a stinker wasn't it?
TANGUAY: The Red Sox lose 16-8 last night,
at home, and Scott just as you think this team is going places they hit another roadblock.
ZOLAK: Exactly what I was thinking last night. You got Beckett who's head is obviously in space. You know this guy is your number three starter, but in reality he should be slated as you're number 2 guy, behind Halladay... and this guy is serving up so many meatballs he should open up a restaurant in the North End!
TANGUAY: We're just about at the point where you have to ask do you replace him in the rotation with Scott Kazmir?
ZOLAK: Which isn't much of an upgrade!
TANGUAY: No, the fact you're in the situation of replacing Beckett with Kazmir who was dropped from the rotation for Scott Shields, isn't a good situation.
ZOLAK: The guy doesn't seem to be injured, it has to be mental.
TANGUAY: Well Zo, they have to figure it out fast. The league is so even now that making up any significant ground is going to be tough. There are no front runner teams, or bad teams anymore. The MLB is now longer a league of who's got the best talent. It's who can preform, who can make the best moves and who can manage. And the Sox had a good team - a GREAT team on paper; and Zo it just isn't there. They are not preforming up to expectations.
ZOLAK: Well let's not hit the panic button on June 2nd, Gary. They are climbing up, two weeks ago they were in the cellar, were they not?
TANGUAY: They were. Look I know in all fairness the team is only two games back from the Yankees and four from leading the division. And they did go on a run after they dealt Reyes ad Gordon to the Twins for Furcal. And the climb out of last and make it to third in the division. They take 2 out of 3 with Oakland, Sweep the Braves, two out of three with Toronto - all dramatic wins. Then they go to New York looking like they're going to leap the Yankees and head for the Rays. What happens? The blew the series in New York.
ZOLAK: They weren't bad games though, they played well. They lost 2/3 but they easily could've swept the Yankees.
TANGUAY: Zo, they didn't lose those games they choked. They didn't preform. Both losses they had 2 run leads in the bottom of the 9th. You got your closer, Joe Nathan, comes in and give up a walk off HR. Fine, he's been struggling, so you get your "lights out" Set-up guy, BJ Ryan - who's really Closer #2 and he blows it too. One run walk offs against a divisional opponent, your arch rival, who is within three game can. not. happen.
ZOLAK: I agree, Gary. Then they drop 2/3 to Baltimore --
TANGUAY: Ugh, what an awful series.
ZOLAK: -- and they're the last place team in the division. And they've been struggling lately just to add that. They lost game 1 of the Baltimore series just like the Yankee series losses, only with worse pitching.
TANGUAY: Yeah so they cough up that lead in the 9th, game ends 9-7. But they rebound the next night, and end crushing Baltimore 8-3, which was almost a shutout. Then you think maybe they'll turn this around. I mean on paper, after the Fucal trade, going 2 wins then 3/3 2/3 1/3 2/3 doesn't look bad.
ZOLAK: even that one game doesn't look bad if you're just stack up series numbers.
TANGUAY: No Zo, it's the loss last night that make me really worry about this season. They got hammered. But we'll have Red Sox Manager Royal Rooters, on later this week. More after the break.