For a closer, this is as ugly as it gets.

We all know the horrid Tale of the Tape left behind Tuesday night by Keith Foulke. He allowed two inherited runners to score in the eighth, and then gave up five runs in the ninth as the Cleveland Indians rallied to beat Boston 12-8.

Foulke threw a staggering 47 pitches, facing 11 batters. Six of those hitters reached base. He suffered his fourth loss of the season.

Admittedly, Foulke has not had many blown saves this season but he hasn’t had many save opportunities, either. The Sox took the field last night with 46 wins, and their closer had a mere 14 saves. Obviously, most of their wins were in one-sided games.

What’s more, the Red Sox held a three-run lead when Foulke came into nine of those 14 games. He promptly gave up two runs four times … and still came away with a save.

He hasn’t done much to help himself off the field, either.

It’s well known now that Foulke took a trip to Alabama on May 23, while the Sox were playing in the Hall of Fame exhibition game in Cooperstown, N.Y. Foulke apparently went to a performance academy to work on his mechanics.

Really, it’s quite admirable. Foulke took it upon himself to spend the off-day working to improve himself. Yet the closer has remained silent about his trip, saying he went there to visit a barbecue restaurant.

He’s referred to booing fans as “Johnny from Burger King,” showing an incredible lack of understanding about the people who show up at Fenway every night. He’s joked that reporters should give him a truck if they want to get interviews with him (he does a weekly appearance on sports radio station WEEI that reportedly pays him a truck.)

Meantime, his work on the field has not mirrored the numbers he has posted over the past few years. He entered the season with 162 saves since 2000, the sixth most in baseball. His 32-save season in 2004 was one of the best campaigns ever by a Red Sox closer.

And he turned it up in the post-season, throwing 14 playoff innings. He pitched six scoreless innings in the ALCS against the Yankees, and gave up one run in five innings of work in the World Series – where he should’ve been named MVP.

Those numbers have earned him a special and permanent place in the hearts of all Red Sox fans. That will never change. But if he thinks 2004 has earned him a lifetime mulligan from Red Sox Nation, he’s wrong.

Before last night’s game, Foulke’s ERA in save situations was a staggering 11.00. That’s not a number that instills confidence in a players’ manager or teammates.

The Red Sox need a top closer to contend again this season. They certainly hope Keith Foulke can turn things around and once again become that closer. There are only four weeks left until the trade deadline, and Theo Epstein cannot sit idly by if his closer continues to struggle. He has proven that he will do whatever it takes to get his team going … and this season, that could mean getting a new closer.

That’s a much more difficult task than adding a position player or two. Last year, Epstein shocked the baseball world when he added a shortstop, a first baseman, and a backup outfielder. He will have to be much more crafty if he is to bring an impact reliever to Boston before the end of the month.

Lewiston native Tom Caron is a studio host for Red Sox telecasts on NESN.