Frankly, losing this series was a big hurt

It’s no surprise the Sox soon will be unveiling a Frank Thomas statue. Frank was diligent in posing for it all those years while playing first base.

I kid, of course. But I’m not sure Ozzie was kidding when he said in a taped presentation for Frank Thomas Day on Sunday, “Frank, you were a great hitter, but not a great player.”

Oh, Ozzie. You always know exactly the right thing to say. Stay classy.

Ozzie and more than a few Sox fans packed into the Cell probably wished the Big Hurt could have picked up a bat in the late innings Sunday. The Sox just couldn’t get anything going against Yankees starter Ivan Nova and a who’s-who of colorful relievers: Boone Logan, Kerry Wood, Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera. It was as if Sox hitters had used all their fight in Saturday night’s slugfest, a 12-9 loss that had the makings of one of those comeback wins that lights a wildfire.

So, all the good vibes generated by the retiring of the Big Hurt’s number were wasted Sunday, as was a terrific outing by Gavin Floyd. The Sox fell 2-1, losing another series (that’s six of their last seven) and going 3-3 on the homestand.

Thanks to the Twins losing to Seattle on Sunday (Carl Pavano’s mustache is at half staff), the Sox remained 4 ½ games behind in the Central. Next up is a 10-game road trip (3 in Cleveland, 3 in Boston, 4 in Detroit). Meanwhile, the Twins are about to begin a nine-game homestand, hosting Detroit, Texas and Kansas City.

The Sox bullpen came out of the weekend even more battered than before, with the loss of the surprisingly effective Erick Threets. The good news is that Bobby Jenks is pitching well again (though it would be nice if he could make the routine throw to first base and spare us some unnecessary drama). And it looks like Matt Thornton and J.J. Putz will be able to return to action as soon as they’re eligible to come off  the DL. That means Wednesday for Thornton and Sept. 9 for Putz.

Terrific starts by Freddy Garcia and Floyd are encouraging signs, but John Danks is starting to become a concern. Two of his last three starts have been real stinkers. Again, for the Sox to have a chance, the starting rotation has to lead the way and go deep into games.