Call me crazy, but I just don't think a 7-run lead is insurmountable when you have two innings to go.

That's why I was more than a bit miffed when I switched back to the Sox game after watching a few minutes of last night's unreal Georgie-California LLWS semifinal game to see good old No. 22 on the mound. As in shortstop/second baseman Nick Green. And miffed may be a bit of an understatement; I was so thoroughly shocked that it easily snapped me out my of month-long funk of not posting word one on the site. 

To the matter at hand - What the hell must Francona have been thinking? Were there some extenuating circumstances I missed that help make this make sense? I mean I did tune in when there was one out in the 8th, but the box score clearly indicates Green pitched the final two innings of the game, and it doesn't say "(Insert any actual reliever's name here) replaced by N. Green because so-and-so's arm fell off" in the play-by-play. 7 runs over two frames is nothing for a team that's scored 6 runs or more in 6 of its last 10 games. It's hardly time to toss in the towel and stick a position player on the mound. What a disappointing move by an ordinarily agreeable manager.