One Week: From Captain to Corky

I'm not sure about other Red Sox fans out there, but for me the end result of being a fan over the past eight days has felt similar to getting kicked repeatedly in the gut. It has been a mostly unpleasant blur of walkoff hits, untimely injuries and blown opportunities. I have "a thing" for timelines, so let's take a look back:

Sunday, July 30
The Yankees trade a bag of baseballs to the Phillies for OF Bobby Abreu and P Cory Lidle.

Trot Nixon leaves the Sox-Angels game in the third inning with a strained biceps tendon.

The Red Sox lead the AL East by one game.

Monday, July 31
GM Theo Epstein does not make a major move to improve the team at the trade deadline.

Jason Varitek leaves the game in the third inning with a twisted left knee.

Big Papi hits a game winning three run home run in the ninth inning to beat the Cleveland Indians 9-8.

Tuesday, August 1
Trot Nixon is placed on the DL after an MRI shows a "Grade 2 strain of the right biceps tendon" and is expected to miss three weeks.

Jason Varitek is placed on the DL with a knee injury.

The Red Sox lose 6-3 to the Cleveland Indians and fall into a virtual tie with the Yankees for first place in the AL East.

A blackbird sits on second base and Sox fans decide to nickname him.

Wednesday, August 2
Mark Loretta hits a walkoff game winning double and the Red Sox beat the Cleveland Indians 6-5.

Thursday, August 3
Boston Globe columnist, Dan Shaughnessy, dubs the 2006 Sox the "Walkoff Wonders" likely nixing the chance of any more walkoff hits this season.

Jason Varitek has arthroscopic knee surgery. No official timetable is given for his return.

Mike Lowell fouls a ball off his foot. X-Rays are negative, but Lowell says his foot "feels like crap."

The Red Sox lose to the Cleveland Indians and fall a game behind the Yankees in the AL East.

Friday, August 4
The Red Sox acquire catcher Javy Lopez from the Baltimore Orioles.

Doug Mirabelli leaves the game after twisting his ankle in the first inning.

David Ortiz hits two home runs to lift the Red Sox over the Devil Rays, 3-2.

Saturday, August 5
Javy Lopez becomes the Sox starting catcher but he can't shake his Orioleness. Lopez grounds into a bases-loaded game-ending double play in the Sox 8-5 loss to Tampa Bay.

Sunday, August 6
The Red Sox start a catcher named "Corky." Red Sox Nation wonders if that is his real name.

David Ortiz becomes the first player in Red Sox history to hit 40 home runs or more in three straight seasons. Ortiz subsequently receives a bottle of cologne from Devil Rays Manager, Joe Maddon.

Manny Ramirez extends his hitting streak to 22 games.

Jason M. Johnson pitches well but the Sox relievers blow a 6-2 lead.

The Sox fall two games behind the Yankees in the AL East.

Monday, August 7
Low level, but manageable panic sets in. The Red Sox are only two games behind the Yankees in the AL East and a half game behind Chicago in the Wild Card standings, but the Sox have lost a tremendous amount of momentum. The Yankees play two good teams this week -- the White Sox and Angels. If the Red Sox play well against Kansas City and Baltimore they could be back in first place by this time next Monday. This week could be the turning point.

Go Sox!

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