Boston still struggling
Most of the fans had left Fenway Park by the time the Red Sox scored against the Toronto bullpen to cut a five-run deficit to two. And when the game ended in another Boston loss, there wasn’t enough energy left in the crowd for a healthy boo.
The defending World Series champions lost again the next afternoon, completing back-to-back sweeps at Fenway Park by the Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays. It’s the first time Boston has gone winless on a homestand of at least six games since Butch Hobson presided over the 1994 team.
“It’s frustrating right now for a number of guys,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said after losing to Toronto 7-2 on Thursday to end the homestand without a win.
Eight straight losses overall, including Friday’s 1-0 defeat to the Rays at Tampa Bay, bring up an embarrassing name in franchise lore: Bobby Valentine. Not since the Red Sox lost the last eight games of his one-year reign have they slumped this badly.
Less than seven months after going from worst-to-first, following the collapse under Valentine with a World Series victory, the Red Sox have reversed course again – and not in a good way. They are a season-worst seven games under .500, six games out of first and tied for last place with the Rays.
“There’s plenty of time to turn it around,” catcher A.J. Pierzynski said. “We’ve just got to do it tomorrow. We can’t waste any more time.”
Angelou out of baseball event
Author and poet Maya Angelou will not attend the 2014 MLB Beacon Awards Luncheon, where she will be honored.
Major League Baseball cited “health reasons” Friday in saying the 86-year-old won’t make it to the May 30 event in Houston before the annual Civil Rights Game.
Angelou canceled an event last month in Fayetteville, Arkansas, because she was recovering from an “unexpected ailment” that sent her to the hospital.
Robin Roberts will be the keynote at the baseball event, which will also honor Motown Records founder Berry Gordy and football great Jim Brown.
Clearing the bases
Boston shortstop Stephen Drew will begin a stretch of what could be around 10 games in the minor leagues at Single-A Greenville. … The Pittsburgh Pirates have activated closer Jason Grilli off the disabled list and optioned catcher Tony Sanchez to Triple-A Indianapolis.