01:00 AM EDT on Thursday, July 22, 2004

BOSTON -- Thanks to another flat, sloppy effort last night, the Red Sox dropped to a thoroughly average 36-36 since April 29.

That means for almost a three-month span, the Red Sox have been nothing more than a .500 team. Perhaps they're no more than that.

The excuses have all been used up. They're mostly healthy, even if they had to place one infielder (Pokey Reese) on the disabled list yesterday and rest another (Nomar Garciaparra).

After weeks of promises that the real Red Sox would emerge once Garciaparra and Trot Nixon and Bill Mueller all returned from injuries, the Sox have shown little improvement or consistency.

The 5-1 run that was supposed to send them into the All-Star break with momentum? Gone, squandered by a West Coast road swing that saw them start the second half in entirely predictable fashion: lose one, win one; lose one, win one; lose one, win one.

That's a lot of miles to fly and a lot of effort to expend simply to stay in place.

Not even a return to Fenway -- where they had owned a 30-15 record and won five of their last six series -- could energize the Sox last night.

Instead, it was merely another exercise in head-scratching. True, the Sox have lost only 16 times at Fenway this season, but in seven of those defeats -- including the Baltimore Orioles' win last night -- the opposition has scored double figures in runs.

Last night featured some trademark slipshod defense, with Johnny Damon figuring prominently.

First, he misplayed a hard liner hit right at him in the fourth. One batter later, the Orioles sent Miguel Tejada from third on a ball that was barely hit 200 feet -- he scored easily thanks to Damon's, um, "throw" to the plate.

Finally, Damon and Manny Ramirez engaged in a comical display -- with Ramirez cutting off a throw from his outfield mate stationed some 50 feet away -- resulting in an inside-the-park homer for David Newhan.

"It was one of those games where Red Sox fans go home and say, 'Wow, what happened out there?' " said Damon.

The Sox are as puzzled as anyone about their own mediocrity.

"I want this team to desperately get on a roll and play the way it can play," said Gabe Kapler, who last night smacked his third homer of the second half. "If I can contribute in any way, that's great. But I want to be part of something special here. We have all the pieces in place. We have all the horses."

Or so it would seem. To a 95-win team a year ago, the Sox added a front-line starter and a top-notch closer. What wasn't to like about this team? They weren't perfect on paper -- little speed; thin in long relief -- but they seemed as talented as any other club in the American League, the Yankees included.

They were dealt a cruel blow with some spring injuries, but they're not alone in that regard. The Cubs, Angels and Yankees have had their share, too.

What's more, the Sox have had nearly a full complement of position players for close to a month now and haven't made their move. When a team plays .500 for a few weeks or even a month, it might only be a bad stretch. But when it lasts for nearly three months, it's no longer temporary. It's telling.

The trading deadline looms a week from Saturday, and general manager Theo Epstein must be sorely tempted to carry out his threat to make trades to shake things up. But how much can be done to this high-salried, under-performing roster? How many deals would it take to send the necessary message to the clubhouse and effect the necessary changes on the field?

Much, of course, is being made about the upcoming three-game series with the Yankees, but the math suggests it's not nearly as relevant as it once was. Trailing the Yankees by eight games after last night, the Sox would be better off addressing their own problems rather than fixating on the front-runners.

Meanwhile, a day-night doubleheader with the Orioles looms today. Given the clear pattern, established since April, it wouldn't be the worst bet to forecast a split.