The Boston Red Sox came to town on a 10-game winning streak.The Tribe entered tonight's game on a 1-game streak - their fifth 1-game winning streak of the season so far, and just one win shy of their longest winning streak of the year.
Something had to give.
I'll give you three guesses.
Well, we'll just go out and start a new streak tomorrow.
There was something a little different about tonight's loss though.
The Tribe sprung a new leak. One of the only working parts on the team so far this season sputtered.
Tonight Kerry Wood spit the bit - giving up a three-run jack to Jason Bay to spoil the night for Cliff Lee, who had held the mighty Sox offense at bay (if you will) for 8 innings.
Hey, these things happen, and I'm sure we won't see too much of that out of Wood this season. But it seems like every night something new goes wrong - except for the offense which has been wronging us for nearly 10 days now.
No wonder Eric Wedge is angry and frustrated. He verbally slapped his club again this afternoon - the everyday players in particular - saying they are leaderless, they are in their prime and they are playing like rookies.
Wedge managed to get himself tossed from tonight's game by arguing two calls on subsequent pitches in the fourth inning. It appeared Wedge was wrong on both calls, and they ended up being of no consequence. But you can't blame the guy for blowing off a little steam.
Now, if he got himself tossed on purpose to fire up his team - well, it didn't work.
Seems as though nothing works.
I can understand Wedge's annoyance with his club. Nobody expected what we are seeing. But he's starting to look desperate - which in fact he may be.
In chastising his team for lacking leaders, Wedge is quoted by the PD this afternoon as saying the following:
"Make no mistake. I'm the leader of this club. But I'm the manager, not a player. . .what a player can do for another player is, to rob a phrase, priceless."
He is saying his leadership alone apparently is not enough. While there's some truth to that, and it's not really a capitulation, it is only about three steps or so away from Chris Palmer's "runaway train" comments 10 years ago, back with the reborn Browns.
Sounds like Wedge is not too sure where to turn next.
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A couple of other thoughts before I go.
Is anyone else growing tired of watching Ben Francisco. Anybody think it might be time to get a look at Matt LaPorta, who is tearing up Triple-A?. (Maybe that's one place Wedge can turn?)
A last thought (and I sure hope this feeling goes away soon - as I think it ultimately will). Does anyone else look out at Mark DeRosa at 3B and wish it were Casey Blake instead? Please tell me that feeling will pass.
Original Story:
http://tribefanyankeeland.blogspot.co...
