Who the hell is Daniel Nava?

I have never heard of Daniel Nava. And I assume if you are not a member of the Nava family that YOU haven't heard of him either.

One thing I can bet is the Phillies didn't have a scouting report on him either... as the former independent league hitter and a guy from Redwood City who evidently was a skeleton in high school hit a grand slam on the first pitch he saw.

Between Darnell McDonald and Daniel Nava, the Red Sox have gotten some wonderful contributions from guys that I am convinced never heard of themselves!

Sully Baseball called for Darnell McDonald's promotion

The other day I wrote about the Red Sox hitting rock bottom and I suggested they bring up Darnell McDonald.

You can look it up.

Now I am not saying I knew he'd be an instant folk hero in Boston... stroking a game tying homer in his first at bat and winning it in the 9th.

But I saw his stats in Pawtucket and thought "Hey, maybe he can be a spark."

Maybe he will.

Maybe a guy getting another shot at the bigs... an unknown with no expectations... a scrappy player who needs to play hard for his salary... maybe that's what the Red Sox needed.

A single spark can start a fire.

And Darnell McDonald was holding a sparkler tonight!

And held a "dodging bullets clinic."

DODGED A BULLET GAMES - 4

April 4 - 9-7 win against Yankees (On Opening Night, the Red Sox overcome a 5-1 Yankee lead with a game tying HR by Pedroia and a go ahead passed ball.)
April 10 - 8-3 win against Kansas City (Beckett out pitches Zack Greinke and nearly gets decapitated by a line drive.)
April 14 - 6-3 win in Minnesota. (Okajima gets Morneau to pop up with the bases loaded in the 7th and Papelbon wiggled out of a 9th inning jam.)
April 20 - 7-6 win against Texas. (Darnell McDonald introduces himself to Boston with an 8th inning game tying homer and a walk off hit in the 9th.)

TEETH GRINDER GAMES - 5

April 6 - 6-4 loss against the Yankees. (Scutaro's error leads to the winning run.)
April 7 - 3-1 loss against the Yankees. (Sox leave the winning run on in the 9th only to lose on Granderson's 10th inning homer)
April 9 - 4-3 loss in Kansas City. (Bard coughs up the lead, denying Wakefield a win.)
April 17 - 3-1 loss to Tampa Bay. (The Sox can't score with the bases loaded and nobody out in the 11th... lost it in the 12th.)
April 17 - 6-5 loss to Tampa Bay. (The Red Sox comeback falls a run short, leaving two on in the 8th)

Down to -1.

Are we living in the Darnell McDonald era?
Remember, virtually nobody noticed when the Red Sox picked up Dave Roberts in 2004.
I'm just saying

ROCK BOTTOM

Well it is not every day that you can have TWO teeth grinders in less than 24 hours.

The Red Sox couldn't score a run with the bases loaded and 2 outs in the 11th inning, ergo losing a game on Saturday where the only offense was a Jason Varitek homer on Friday.

And oh yeah, fell a run short in the big comeback today.

The Red Sox are stumbling. And yes I know it is early and a modest 3 game winning streak will get them to .500.

As I said last winter, this is a team without an offensive identity. And it is starting to show big time.

At this point, forget the Big Papi/Mike Lowell platoon.

I'd be willing to go down to Pawtucket and see if Darnell McDonald is for real.
Why not? Anything to give this offense a jolt.

Either way, it's time to update the already cluttered tally.

DODGED A BULLET GAMES - 3

April 4 - 9-7 win against Yankees (On Opening Night, the Red Sox overcome a 5-1 Yankee lead with a game tying HR by Pedroia and a go ahead passed ball.)
April 10 - 8-3 win against Kansas City (Beckett out pitches Zack Greinke and nearly gets decapitated by a line drive.)
April 14 - 6-3 win in Minnesota. (Okajima gets Morneau to pop up with the bases loaded in the 7th and Papelbon wiggled out of a 9th inning jam.)

TEETH GRINDER GAMES - 5

April 6 - 6-4 loss against the Yankees. (Scutaro's error leads to the winning run.)
April 7 - 3-1 loss against the Yankees. (Sox leave the winning run on in the 9th only to lose on Granderson's 10th inning homer)
April 9 - 4-3 loss in Kansas City. (Bard coughs up the lead, denying Wakefield a win.)
April 17 - 3-1 loss to Tampa Bay. (The Sox can't score with the bases loaded and nobody out in the 11th... lost it in the 12th.)
April 17 - 6-5 loss to Tampa Bay. (The Red Sox comeback falls a run short, leaving two on in the 8th)

From break even to -2 in less than 24 hours.

Let's hope this is rock bottom