Valentine: Red Sox have “hit bottom”

Share

BOSTON -- More than once during Fox's national telecast afternoon (and night), the cameras caught manager Bobby Valentine mouthing "Wow.''

And, really, what else was there for him to say?

His players apparently were similarly speechless. Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz informed reporters that they weren't talking, while Cody Ross and Adrian Gonzalez left without comment.

They had all witnessed what was inarguably one of the ugliest losses in franchise history. What had been a 9-0 lead after five innings eventually turned to an incomprehensible 15-9 loss to the New York Yankees.

Over the course of two innings, after Felix Doubront was touched for a solo homer in the sixth, five relievers combined to allow 14 runs -- 13 of them earned -- leaving the Sox stunned.

The nine-run lead was the biggest blown lead the Sox have had since coughing up a nine-run cushion against Baltimore on June 30, 2009, in Baltimore.

Prior to that, the biggest lead the Sox lost was a club-record 10-run lead against Toronto, having led 10- before losing 13-12 in 12 innings.

But this, in many ways, was worse, coming as it did after the Sox had lost four in a row, lost a one-sided game to their rivals the day before which spoiled its 100th anniversary party, and coming hard on the heels of a September collapse which had winter-long repercussions.

"I think,'' decided Bobby Valentine, who nearly wore out the infield grass walking back and forth between the mound and dugout, "we've hit bottom. That's what I told (players) after the game. Sometimes you have to hit bottom. If this isn't bottom, we'll find some new ends of the earth, I guess.''

Asked what to do about what he had witnessed, Valentine was understandably reluctant to get into specifics.

"When you do anything these days, you take all considerations in,'' said Valentine. "You've got to consider anything.''

Valentine spoke to some players individualy after the loss, attempting to keep spirits high, as impossible as that might seem.

Meanwhile, the manager himself was the target of some angry fans, who heartily booed his every appearance on the field. Given all the pitching changes he was forced to make, they had plenty of chances.

"I've been booed in a couple of countries and a few different stadiums,'' said Valentine, attempting some gallows humor. "I don't want to be booed. I want the good decisions. They just didn't work out.''

But clearly there is little funny about what's going on with the Red Sox.

Valentine hinted that there is a hangover from last September's collapse, when he noted: "This is a psychological situation, right? Last September has its toll; losing (Jacoby) Ellsbury has a toll. You've got to be tough.''

But even Valentine's upbeat nature was tested when Vicente Padilla, Franklin Morales, Matt Alberts and Alfredo Aceves conspired to let the eight-run lead slip away.

"It happened quickly and it was hard to believe,'' said Valentine. "I guess if it happened quickly, it's overwhelming.''

"I hope this is as bad as it gets,'' said shortstop Mike Aviles.

But Saturday, there was not even a guarantee of that much.

Contact Us