ARLINGTON, Texas -- Keith Foulke says when he's out in public people call him Kevin (Faulk). Maybe that's because the diminutive Patriots running back might be a better choice right now to close games for the Red Sox.
Yet another Foulke disaster occurred at steamy Ameriquest Field last night as he blew a 5-4 lead in the ninth, allowing the winning run on Kevin Mench's first-pitch RBI single to left with the bases loaded in a horrifying 6-5 loss to the Texas Rangers.
Foulke's teammates and manager Terry Francona continue to support the embattled closer, but how long can they remain patient?
''He's going to get through one of these and that's going to be the end of it," said Sox captain and catcher Jason Varitek. ''He's done it over and over in this situation and it just didn't happen [last night]."
Foulke's reduced velocity has been much publicized lately, but last night it seemed all right. On one pitch he hit 89 miles per hour. Varitek remains unconcerned about velocity.
''It's [about] getting comfortable and getting into his zone, because he's a guy who can pinpoint," Varitek said. ''He's got three gears on his changeup. It's been a tough time for him. There's no plainer thing to say than to say we need him. We ain't going anywhere without him. Period. We've got to keep getting him out there and it's going to happen for him."
Varitek went so far as to say, ''I think he keeps getting better. He's just not able to get away with any mistakes. People see blood. I just think he's going to get through one of these and that's going to be the end of it."
It was especially painful because Manny Ramírez had given the Sox a 5-3 lead with a two-run homer in the eighth.
Today is ''Keith Foulke Day" in the Globe's wrist band promotion, but they may not be able to give the bands away after he began to give the game away after one out in the ninth.
He allowed a triple to right-center to Michael Young, who scored the tying run on Mark Teixeira's double to right. After he walked Hank Blalock, he hit Alfonso Soriano on an 0-2 pitch to load the bases for Mench.
''He came in and I thought he had good pop on his fastball, made real good pitches to Dave Dellucci," said Francona. ''It's a one-run game and that's the big guy you want to keep off the bases. Once Michael Young came up and stretched that out to a triple, we've got our hands full. You make a dangerous hitter that much more dangerous. Those are the consequences of facing a good hitter."
Asked if he had a solution to the team's bullpen woes, Francona said, ''It's eight minutes after the game. It doesn't work that way."
Foulke did not address the media after the game.
