"We got our asses totally kicked..."

For some reason I find myself thinking of Jim Mora after quite a first day of the series.
The Sox were trounced 12-4, in the day game, and carried a 10-7 lead into the seventh inning of Game 2 before crumbling in humiliating fashion. Craig Hansen left with the bases loaded and one out and Mike Timlin allowed all three runners to score, as well as four more. “I feel like somebody just kicked my ass,” said an exhausted David Ortiz, who hit his 43rd home run in the ninth inning off Mariano Rivera. "Shit, someone did!”

It was still the seventh inning of Game 2 when the center-field scoreboard flashed the news that the last T would be pulling out of the Kenmore Square station at 12:35 a.m. At 12:19, with the game still in the top of the eighth, it already had become the longest nine-inning regular-season game in major league history. The nine innings took 4 hours 45 minutes, breaking the former mark of 4:27 set by the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants on Oct. 5, 2001.

Jon Lester was charged with seven runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings; the kid who began his big league career 5-0 has an ERA of 9.88 in his last three starts. Lester's last solid outing came on July 18, when he tossed eight shutout innings, allowing just one hit in a 1-0 win over the Kansas City Royals. Since, he has struggled big time.

His problem seems to be that, especially early in a game, he has no pitch he can count on for a strike whenever he has to get a pitch over the plate. After getting a strike out/caught stealing double play to escape the first, he blew up in the second, needing 41 pitches while allowing five runs.

Pitcher Jason Johnson was designated for assignment yesterday. The Sox have 10 days to trade Johnson, place him on waivers, or give him his unconditional release. Johnson would have to give his permission to be outrighted to Pawtucket, so presumably he will seek employment elsewhere.

Last night, perhaps anticipating that help would be needed, Pawtucket's Kason Gabbard was scratched before his scheduled start.