Gagne reflex in Beantown

That Eric Gagne trade doesn't look so hot this morning in Boston.

Back in July, it looked like a genius move to bring in another closer to the Red Sox to supplement Jonathan Papelbon. Papelbon seemed to run out of gas in 2006, and with Gagne, Papelbon and Hideki Okajima, any Red Sox lead from the seventh inning onward would be safe.

Instead, Gagne has proved he can't be trusted in a close game, and he took the loss early Sunday morning in Cleveland's 13-6, 11-inning victory in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series in Boston.

Because Curt Schilling was pulled after four innings, the Red Sox had already used Manny Delcarmen, Okajima, Mike Timlin and Papelbon. Javier Lopez and Jon Lester threw gas on the fire in the Indians' seven-run 11th inning, but Gagne struck the match. And columnist Steve Buckley of the Boston Herald says it's time to put Gagne on ice. He had a 6.75 ERA in 20 innings with the Red Sox in August and September, and Gagne, who once converted a major-league record 84 consecutive save opportunities, is a weak link in the Red Sox bullpen.

And despite a rocky outing by lefty Rafael Perez, the Indians are showing they might have the better bullpen. Jensen Lewis, Rafael Betancourt and Tom Mastny were great on Saturday. Mastny never pitched in the Yankees series, but retired David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez and Mike Lowell in order in the 10th to set the stage for the Indians' big inning, and what Deadspin.com has dubbed "The Curse of the Trotino."