The Red Sox had nothing to play for on Monday night, and their starting lineup reflected that. That's all well and good for a team that has long since been eliminated from playoff contention.
However, the weak-hitting Boston batting order against the Yankees — featuring six players who began the season in Triple-A — wasn't well-received by the Baltimore Orioles.
The Boston Globe reports that O's officials "weren't thrilled" by the lineup Bobby Valentine put together. Baltimore, of course, entered play on Monday night tied for the Yankees in the AL East. The Yankees steamrolled the Sox, while the O's fell to the Tampa Bay Rays.
"The Yankees have five potential Hall of Famers at the top of their order," a major league source told the Globe. "The Red Sox have guys who don’t even know where the Hall of Fame is."
Another source told the Globe's Nick Cafardo that he's "never seen such a weak roster."
Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury, the Red Sox' top remaining offensive players, were held out of the lineup for the series opener against CC Sabathia and the Yanks. It was revealed that Pedroia has a fractured ring finger, and he's expected to miss the remaining two games as well.
