After each series, we'll be taking stock in each player's...and maybe manager's...performance. If we like what we see, we're buyin'. If we don't, we're sellin'. Or maybe we'll just hold onto our stock until we see more next series.
Nobody: I'm not buying anyone that had anything to do with that series. The Sox needed to stake their claim for the postseason, and instead, they did whatever the exact opposite of staking your claim for the postseason is. The offense sucked. The pitching was awful. They weren't even good in the field, committing 5 errors over the 4 games. We don't even look like we deserve to be playing in the same league with the Rays right now.
Kyle Weiland: The fact that Kyle Weiland is pitching for the Red Sox in such a critical time of the year pisses me off. It's not his fault. It's Clay Buchholz's stupid back's fault. It's years of Dice-K abusing his body's fault. It's Andrew Miller's inability to get people out's fault. Hell, I'll even heap some blame on Trever Miller. Don't think you're getting off that easy! It's everybody's fault but Kyle Weilands. But that doesn't mean he didn't drop a 3 inning, 4 run turd on the mound. I think it's time to pull the plug on the Weiland experiment (I write as he's given up 5 runs over 4 innings to the O's. Ugh).
Adrian Gonzalez: I never thought I'd sell Gonzo. Not even in a special April Fool's edition of Taking Stock. But I'm doing it now. In the biggest series of the season, Adrian went hitless with 6 strikeouts (2 in each of the final three games). I have no idea how much his shoulder is bothering him. Maybe his car needs an oil change and it's weighing heavily on his mind. I don't know what his problem(s) is or are, but now is not the time for problems. Now is the time to win some baseball games.
John Lackey: Yeah, I know you never played in the series. Too bad. You're getting sold too. I haven't connected all the dots yet, but this is somehow you're fault. I'm sure of it.
Mike Aviles: He was the one batter that seemed to give a damn over the past 4 games. He had 6 hits in the series, with 2 home runs, 2 doubles and 5 RBIs.
Josh Beckett: The man had one job to do: win a freaking ball game. And that's exactly what he did. Coming off an ankle injury, Beckett struck out 7 Rays and only allowed 3 runs (2 earned). Even more impressively, he out-dueled James Shields. If the Sox want to have any chance of playing in October, they're going to need Beckett.
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