July hasn’t been terribly kind to Jake Diekman, but it sounds like the veteran southpaw isn’t searching for answers as to what’s going wrong on the mound.
Diekman, who’s allowed at least one baserunner in all six of his appearances this month, wasn’t able to keep the Red Sox-Rays series opener tied in the sixth inning Monday night. The 11th-year pro hit the first batter he saw and proceeded to allow a one-out, go-ahead RBI double before he was taken out of the game.
“Embarrassing” was the word Diekman used after Boston’s 10-5 loss to describe his brief outing at Tropicana Field. The 35-year-old also confidently explained why he hasn’t been very sharp of late.
“It’s definitely mechanical,” Diekman told reporters, per MLB.com. “I think we know what part of the mechanics it is; we’re just working through it.”
Unfortunately for Diekman, he’ll be tasked with trying to figure things out before the MLB All-Star break against potent offenses. After three more games in Tampa Bay, the Red Sox will travel to the Bronx for a three-game weekend series against the vaunted New York Yankees.
