Give It Up?

Posted Sep 6, 2010 by Roger Mooney

Updated Sep 6, 2010 at 02:26 PM

The standings on the Green Monster tell the story of the plight of the Red Sox

ROGER MOONEY
BOSTON Today’s backpage headline in the Boston Herald read, “GIVE IT UP,” over a photo of Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon with his head bowed and his eyes closed. It was taken during Sunday’s ninth inning meltdown against the White Sox.

“Close the book?” asked the headline this morning in The Boston Globe.

The Red Sox, 10 games behind the first place Yankees in the AL East and 7.5 behind the Rays in the AL Wild Card standings, are in danger of staying home this October.

Perhaps that has already been settled.

Getting swept by and then falling behind the White Sox in the Wild Card race over the weekend might have been the knockout blow.

“It doesn’t look good,” catcher Victor Martinez told reporters after Sunday’s 7-5 loss.

Still, the Red Sox are mathmatically alive, and they can make up some ground during this three-game series with the Rays that starts tonight.

But they will have to sweep the Rays.

As of now, Red Sox manager Terry Francona plans on starting Clay Buchholz on Wednesday, bringing the righty back on three days rest for the first time in Buchholz’s career.

Some see it as a desperate move by a manager trying to save the season.

Francona called it an “obvious” move.

We’ll see.

Of more importance to the Rays is how Jeff Niemann performs tonight.

The big righty was awful in his first start off the disabled list then pitched five good innings against the Blue Jays last week before falling apart in the sixth.

At some point the Rays are going to have to decide which four pitchers they keep in the rotation for the postseason.

Tonight might be a good time for Niemann to prove he’s worthy of some October starts.