After losing their first three-game series to the New York Yankees, things got even worse for the Red Sox (1-2) on Friday night. They got off to an early 3-0 lead on a David Ortiz double and a J.D. Drew two-run homer. However, the Red Sox failed to hold the slim lead for the second consecutive game.
Despite Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield being the oldest player on the field, he out-dueled the Royals young-gun, 26-year-old Kyle Davies. Wakefield left the game in line for the win even after he gave up back-to-back home runs in the sixth inning. The home runs came off the bats of Royals’ Billy Butler and Rick Ankiel.
Ankiel wasn’t about to settle for just a solo home run. The Royals’ center fielder got greedy and smacked a broken-bat single into left field, which scored the game tying and go-ahead runs. The one-run lead proved to be insurmountable for the Red Sox and they lost the game 4-3. Their record is now 1-3 and they are tied for last place in the American League East.
Of course it is way to early to push the panic button, but the underlying problem with designated hitter David Ortiz will need to be addressed sooner rather than later. It is heart breaking to any Red Sox fan who has followed the club since their amazing 2004 World Series run. Any Sox follower knows that Ortiz proved to be one of the most clutch batters in Red Sox history after hitting two game-winners against the Yankees in the ’04 ALCS.
Times have changed and players around the league are growing older. David Ortiz seems to be leading the pack. His early struggles last season lead to many questions from the media. Now, Ortiz faces these questions everyday, and after getting ejected in the fifth inning of Friday’s game, it is obvious the frustration is settling in. If the Red Sox continue this losing streak they will be forced to make some changes, and the first one will likely be Ortiz. If this does happen, it will be a painful day for every member of Red Sox Nation.
