Blown Out and Swept Aside. Rangers Beat Down Sox 9-1.

The great news is that Boston pitching would hold Texas scoreless in the first inning and jump out to a 1-0 lead in the second. The bad news is that the run they posted on a Jarrod Saltalamacchia solo homer in the second would be their only one of the night. The REALLY bad news is that Texas would go on to get one of their own plus eight more.

Boston’s misery continued and was compounded Monday night – sorta like a fracture – in Arlington, as any thinking baseball fan with a brain must begin to wonder if making only one move, no matter how big, before the trading deadline would actually make a big enough impact to materially impact Boston’s chances of competing in 2012. I have an answer that no one wants to hear.

"Felix Doubront has been the only bright spot in the Red Sox starting rotation this season. Going into Boston’s tilt with the Rangers, Doubront was sporting a 10-4 record and, when compared with the rest of the staff, possessed a super low 4.24 ERA. Doubront held the Rangers in check, well that is until the third inning when the roof fell in."

While hardly dominant, Doubront was able to wriggle off the hook during a couple of sticky situations in the first two frames. In the third, Doubront got on the hook and couldn’t get off it. After giving up a single and a walk, Doubront’s slow approach to plate set the Rangers up for a big inning when Craig Gentry and Ian Kinsler easily swiped third and second base respectively on a double steal. With the table set and nobody out, Elvis Andrus singled, Josh Hamilton doubled and Michael Young singled. When Texas finally holstered their guns Doubront and the Red Sox were down 4-1, again looking up at an opponent early in a game.

A two-run shot by Mike Napoli in the sixth buried Doubront, who gave way to Franklin Morales. Brandon Snyder rudely welcomed Morales with a double and Craig Gentry singled to plate Snyder a put the Rangers up 7-1. Kingsler singled, Carl Crawford misplayed the ball – terribly it has to be added – and Gentry scored. Hamilton ended the sixth inning barrage with a sac fly to Crawford that scored Kinsler.

Rangers 9, Boston 1. What else needs to be said?

The beat goes on, the beat goes on
Drums keep pounding a rhythm to the brain
…And men still keep on marching off to war
Electrically they keep a baseball score
– The Beat Goes On, Sonny and Cher