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Epstein: Nobody blames Francona for collapse

Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona spoke as general manager Theo Epstein looked on during a news conference at Fenway Park today.

Elise Amendola/AP

Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona spoke as general manager Theo Epstein looked on during a news conference at Fenway Park today.

BOSTON — Boston Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein said he won’t make a scapegoat of skipper Terry Francona after the team’s unprecedented September collapse.

Epstein said at a Fenway Park press conference this afternoon that everyone will be evaluated this offseason, including the manager and GM. But he said ‘‘nobody blames’’ the team’s 7-20 in the final month on Francona.

“We take full responsibility for what happened, all of us, but collectively it was a failure, and I’m the general manager, so I take more responsibility than anybody, but I know we don’t believe in scapegoats, and in particular no one blames Tito for what happened in September,” Epstein said. “We all failed collectively.”

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Francona didn’t criticize his team’s effort over the final month of the season, only the results.

“I regret the way the month tuned out, but I don’t regret the way we worked at it and kept plugging away,” Francona said.

The Red Sox led the AL wild-card race by nine games on the morning of Sept. 4. But they failed to win consecutive games all month, and they headed into the final night of the season tied with the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Red Sox blew a 3-2 lead with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning and lost 4-3 to Baltimore. Minutes later, the Rays beat the New York Yankees to clinch the playoff berth.

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