Are you shitting me? Did we get the B-squad of umpires tonight or something?

I've never seen a postseason match up so wholly decided by terrible officiating calls late in the game. Sure, the Sox had plenty of missed opportunities (and plenty that they cashed in on with just about every RBI being of the 2-out variety it seems), but the umps shat the collective bed on this one so the 60-and-over crowd could get home because it was waaaay passed their assisted-living community's mandated bedtime.

The Kotsay strike-out pitch, numerous Timlin pitches (although he did a good job of getting himself into trouble on his own, as well), the Bartlett check-swing call... all these things contributed to the loss, all were unanimously up to the discretion of the blues, and all were unquestionably eff'd up by the guys calling the shots. In reality, you can't ask for much more than a split out of the first two games and I'm happy to be heading home with the series at 1-1, but it's just disappointing to have the game decided this way.

Guess we'll just have to take three straight at Fenway to make up for it...