Sox bullpen is a complete mess

It's a familiar complaint by fans of pretty much any MLB team: we don't have enough arms in the bullpen.

However, the Red Sox (47-32) are in a serious crisis mode with their bullpen in 2010 because Hideki Okajima, Manny Delcarmen and Ramon Ramirez all have ERAs over 4.5 and they are struggling with a capital S.

The Tampa Bay Rays (45-32) salvaged a game at Fenway Park last night with a 9-4 win as they scored six runs in the eighth off Delcarmen and Ramirez.

All told, Dice-K gave Boston a good start by his low standards. He walked the bases loaded in the first but obviously got out of it. He went six innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits with four walks and seven strikeouts.

Matt Garza (9-5) continued his mastery of the Sox as he gave his team the solid outing that desperately needed: seven innings, three earned runs on six hits, two walks and five strikeouts.

Tampa went up 3-0 in the fourth on a two-run double by Kelly Shoppach and an RBI single by Ben Zobrist.

David Ortiz cut it to 3-1 in the sixth with an RBI double which scored new guy Eric Patterson.

The Rays clinched this one with the six runs in the eighth. Carlos Pena hit an RBI double, Sean Rodriguez had a two-run single and Jason Bartlett hit a three-run bomb off Ramirez and into the Monster seats.

Ortiz fueled a minor comeback in the eighth with a two-run double and Adrian Beltre drove in the other run with a long sacrifice fly. That was one of at least three or four deep fly balls the Red Sox hit to the warning track.

The Fourth of July is always a big deal in Boston and the Sox will be home with the Orioles playing the role of jobber for what should be some big holiday weekend crowds.

The Red Sox are off tonight and then they get things started against the hapless O's tomorrow night.