A.J. PIERZYNSKI

A POWERFUL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM
The Red Sox leaky offense can't come through

July 19, 2007 ... A half-hour after midnight, the Red Sox needed a home run. Instead, on a night they managed only singles, 11 of them, they went down quietly, 4-2, to the Chicago White Sox, who tweaked both of Boston's Japanese pitchers, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima, in sending the Red Sox to their third straight loss and fifth in eight games of a homestand fast becoming forgettable.

The White Sox waited out Matsuzaka for six walks, three of which were converted into runs by A.J. Pierzynski, who singled home Chicago's first run in the first and knocked out Matsuzaka with a two-run single in the sixth. Chicago strongman Paul Konerko added an insurance run when he homered off Okajima to start the eighth, the first home run allowed by Okajima since John Buck homered on the lefthander's first pitch in the big leagues, 172 batters earlier.

The Red Sox had runners on first and second with one out in the seventh and the leadoff man on in the eighth but failed to score against one of the American League's worst bullpens. Facing minor league call-up Ryan Bukwich, Manny Ramirez came up a few feet short of hitting a home run into the center-field triangle, the ball landing in Jerry Owens's glove, and Kevin Youkilis whiffed in the seventh. Mike Lowell blooped a single to open the eighth, but Jason Varitek grounded into a double play and Wily Mo Pena, playing for the injured J.D. Drew (tender hamstring), flied to center.

Closer Bobby Jenks set down the Red Sox in order in the ninth for his 26th save. The White Sox bullpen had been 3-14 with a 7.36 ERA in its last 60 games. The Red Sox' lead in the AL League East remained at seven games because the Yankees lost to Toronto.

Terry Francona was waiting in the Red Sox dugout with a handshake when Manny Delcarmen walked off the mound. While a soggy crowd sat in weary silence, wondering if sitting through a nearly two-hour rain delay and six walks by Matsuzaka had been worth it, the manager knew Delcarmen had given his team its best chance of recovery.

Delcarmen, growing up faster than Harry Potter and in much fewer volumes, had kept the White Sox from scoring again after Matsuzaka departed, two runs already in, two men on base, and no outs in the sixth inning. Delcarmen struck out the dangerous Jermaine Dye, and after Rob Mackowiak grounded a single to right to reload the bases, kept his composure. Josh Fields hit a tapper to Lowell that the third baseman converted into a force at the plate, and Juan Uribe popped to shortstop.

One of the best barometers of a reliever's effectiveness is how many inherited runners he allows to score. Delcarmen has been summoned with a total of 10 runners on base. None have crossed the plate. Delcarmen, who grew up in nearby West Roxbury, has yet to be charged with a run in front of the home folks. In eight appearances in Fenway (nine innings), he has not allowed a run while striking out 13. He also has yet to allow a run anywhere in eight July appearances.

The splendor of the Red Sox bullpen, however, couldn't mask the problems the offense had putting runs on the board against White Sox starter Javier Vazquez, who gave up six hits, all singles, in the first two innings but allowed Boston to score just twice.

Rookie Dustin Pedroia had two of those hits and drove in Boston's second run, but he also made a base-running blunder that cut a Red Sox' rally short, getting caught in a rundown between first and second when right fielder Dye's throw to the plate was cut off. Coco Crisp, who was on third, broke for the plate after Pedroia was hung up, and was tagged out by Pierzynski.

Matsuzaka's trouble was mostly of his own making, with an assist from Tim McClelland's strike zone, which at times was about the size of a wasabi pea. Matsuzaka, who had skipped a side session this week as an antidote to the onset of fatigue, gave up just two hits, both to Pierzynski, but his six strikeouts couldn't spare him the damage wrought by his walks. Two-out free passes to Jim Thome and Konerko, both on full counts, resulted in a first-inning run when Pierzynski lined another full-count pitch to right for a single. Matsuzaka retired Dye on a ground ball to end the first, then set down the next eight batters until Dye drew a two-out walk in the fourth. Matsuzaka had thrown 89 pitches by the time he faced countryman Tadahito Iguchi to start the sixth. Iguchi fouled off the first pitch, then walked on four pitches. Matsuzaka missed on four straight to Thome, prompting a visit from pitching coach John Farrell, his second of the night. Matsuzaka then lost Konerko on a full count to load the bases.

The Japanese right-hander thought he had Pierzynski struck out on a 1-and-2 pitch that appeared to catch the outside corner, but McClelland thought otherwise. Pierzynski followed with a grounder that first baseman Kevin Youkilis was unable to smother, the ball continuing into right field as Iguchi and Thome scored.

In 20 starts, Matsuzaka has issued 46 walks in 130 2/3 innings. Assuming he doesn't miss a start the rest of the way and averages the same number of innings, he should finish with 33 starts, 216 innings, and 76 walks, which would be his most walks since he totaled 117 in 240 1/3 innings for the Seibu Lions six years ago.

Alex Cora's playing time has dwindled because of Julio Lugo's hot streak and rookie Dustin Pedroia's consistency. Cora has started one game since the break and has 17 plate appearances this month. Manny Ramirez came into last night's game batting .385 (10 for 26) with 3 home runs and 9 RBIs in seven games this homestand. He also has made the last out with the tying run on base in two of the Sox' four losses since the break