The starters, until last night, had improved. I mean even Suarez got thru the 6th over the weekend and that's the second good start for him in a row. The RP is terrible. There is no one after the starters to stop a rally and no one has been able to escape an inning without a walk that hurts them and a run or more being scored. Part is the umps, but the bigger part is their lack of control.
About the umps, you could see Kimbrel's meltdown coming. He was shaky to begin with, but when a strike - in the center of the plate, in the strikebox of the auto ump, at least a full ball's height into it - was called a ball, Kimbrel lost any composure he had. I think that made the count 2-1 instead of 1-2. Then a ball. Then the HR pitch. I even said to my daughter after the bad call, "Look out, he's going to throw a HR." Low and behold. He's become very predictable. I guess that one can be blamed on the ump. It changed the pitch sequence, but the reality is the next pitch after it wasn't even close. High and outside - not even tempting to a hitter.
The RP has to be improved. I don't know if that means bringing the pitching coach from last year up from his evaluative roll he's taken on to advise a little or what, but something has to give. We seem very much like the Detroit Tigers we sent packing on Delmon Young's historic double. The starting pitching on that Detroit team was very good, but touch them for a few runs and in came relievers that would give the game away.
Boston is a good team. We have to manage a split. I think with that we win the season series with them anyway. But taking these two games would be better. I just don't really expect anything more than a 50-50 chance once we get the the bullpen and if we don't have the lead when we start using them, I'm pretty dubious on our chances.
edit - the positives are the bats seems to have reawakened AND, generally, the fielding is getting back to normal.