Jacboy Ellsbury Plays 1-On-10, Loses

One loss.

That's all that separates the Red Sox from the Rays in the wild card now, following another complete failure by the Red Sox--minus Jacoby Ellsbury.

First there was Tim Wakefield and his defensively challenged batterymate Jarrod Saltalamacchia. The first two New York batters of the game would reach on bunts as they pressured the duo early. Having failed that particular test, the two proceeded to put on an absolute circus act of stolen bases, passed balls, and wild pitches, allowing both to score without another hit in the inning.

The trouble just continued in the third as Jorge Posada hit a two-run shot, and in the fifth when the Yankees chased Wakefield from the game with a fifth run on a pair of singles and an error by Carl Crawford that turned one into, effectively, a double. Matt Albers allowed a sixth run in the sixth, but really none of that would matter past Posada's homer, because the Sox were busy making A.J. Burnett look like Cy Young.

Well, every one buy Mr. Ellsbury, who took him deep twice to join the 30-30 club. But with the Sox having sparse few baserunners the rest of the day--and with Gonzalez GIDPing whenever they seemed to pick up a hit--both shots were of the solo variety, leaving Boston with just two runs at the end of the day. Alas, individual achievements are cold comfort when a historic collapse is nearing completion.