42

Normally, a pitcher has a right to be upset when he pitches well enough to get out of an inning without giving up a run, but an error opens the floodgates. However, Jose Contreras had only himself to blame last night because it was his error -- and subsequent crappy pitching -- that led to the Red Sox overcoming a 4-1 deficit to plate six runners in the third inning en route to a 12-8 win over the White Sox at Fenway.

The trouble began with one man on and two outs. No Way Jose walked Victor Martinez and hit Kevin Youkilis with a pitch to load the bases. He then induced David "Big PED User" Ortiz into hitting a dribbler down the first base line, which Contreras flubbed, allowing the first run to score. A walk and a wild pitch accounted for two more runs, and a Mike Lowell three-run homer cleared the bases, and the Bosox had six runs when they should have had none. Given all those runs were all Contreras's fault, it hardly seems fair to consider them unearned, but that's the way they keep that stat, so they won't show up in Jose's ERA.

Contreras's incompetence wasted Paul Konerko's 23rd home run and Gordon Beckham's 8th. And it led Ozzie to finally pull Contreras from the rotation. Who replaces him is the question. Jake Peavy pitched five scoreless innings for Triple-A Charlotte last night, while throwing 80 pitches, and is being considered (although it's earlier than projected and Peavy did take a line drive on his pitching elbow). So are Charlotte teammates Carlos Torres, who started for the Sox earlier this season, and Daniel Hudson, who's had a meteoric rise through the farm system this year. All we know for sure is that it won't be Contreras, who will serve out the rest of his sentence in the bullpen.

Given last night's loss and what happened while we were away on business, the Sox now trail the Tigers by 3.5 games. The Magic Number is down to 42, but the Tigers' is at 35. It may not be now or never, but it's at least soon or never. Go Sox!