The first day of May has come and gone, and the Red Sox are still a long way away from figuring out exactly what they are.

What we do know is that the Sox are closer to the last-place Orioles than they are the first-place Rays. What we also understand is that while there are some championship-level pieces on this team, many of them fit like a yard sale puzzle.

The reality is that the Sox still have some time to fix their problems (albeit not a ton thanks to the talent of Tampa Bay and the Yankees). At this time last season, the playoff-bound Rockies were 9-13 and 6 1/2 games behind first-place Los Angeles. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays and Royals sat atop their respective divisions.

Things still get fixed in May, that is the way of the major league world. But the problem the Red Sox face is dealing with games like their 12-9 loss to the Orioles Saturday night at Camden Yards. It is that type of game that leaves you wondering what exactly is right, what exactly is wrong. 

The clouds are supposed to be parting by now, but instead it remains as cloudy as ever.

For example, what should the Red Sox make of …

Daisuke Matsuzaka: Admit it, for four innings you were reciting the resume of a pitcher who had finished fourth in the Cy Young voting two seasons ago. And not only had he allowed just one run and one hit over his first four, but teeth-gnawing nibbling was gone, with Matsuzaka throwing first-pitch strikes to 11 of his first 13 batters. There was also an out-pitch -- the slider -- which the starter used to finish off all four of his punch-outs.

But then came the fifth inning when Baltimore hitters started feasting off a fastball that was far from overwhelming (one swing and miss). Four Baltimore hitters saw Matsuzaka for a third time, and all four came away with hits in their third at-bat. And while the pitcher didn't nibble as much, he also had a difficult time in rebounding from early wildness, allowing hits to four of the seven batters he fell behind with the first pitch.

Tim Wakefield: Wakefield said after the game that getting up in the middle of the fifth and getting ready wasn't a problem, but the process clearly needs some work. The knuckleballer had excelled in his first inning pitched as a starter this season, but this was clearly different. Sure, he struck out Luke Scott for his only batter of the fifth, but the dynamic of relieving is an odd one for a pitcher who hadn't come out of the bullpen since the 2004 American League Championship Series. (He did have a scoreless streak of four straight relief outings before Saturday.)

There might ultimately be some value in bringing Wakefield out of the bullpen, a notion that is plausible considering the effectiveness the pitcher has shown more times than not when on the mound. But there is clearly some adjustments to be made.

David Ortiz: Here he was, entering May perhaps on his last legs as a member  of the Red Sox. So what does Ortiz do? He flashes back into form. Just like that. Two home runs, including an absolute bomb onto Eutaw Street, off a lefty, nonetheless. 

What the Red Sox have to decipher is whether or not Saturday night is an aberration of if May 1 served as what May 31 did last season, when he went on a run in which he hit safely in nine of 10 games. Maybe the first home run did come off a mediocre fastball from Orioles' starter Brad Bergesen. And perhaps there were still two other at-bats Ortiz came away empty on. But even then, it was hard to ignore that there were more positives that negatives.

On the first homer he managed to get his hands in enough to yank out the 90 mph heater. The next at-bat, while an out, showed a flash of a hitter who drove an outside fastball the other way (just like the old days). And then, in the eighth, Ortiz took advantage of Terry Francona's decision not to pinch-hit for him against lefty Alberto Castillo, managing his third hit in 14 at-bats against southpaws.

Victor Martinez: The good news is that Martinez has now gone two straight games where he has thrown out potential basestealers. His throwing mechanics are much improved, with a shortened approach paying off. (Click here to read about the extra work Martinez has turned in with catching instructor Gary Tuck.) The fly in the ointment is that the two runners who were thrown out were a 6-foot-5 catcher (Matt Wieters) and a far-from-fast second baseman (Ty Wigginton).

The Red Sox have improved from top to bottom in controlling the running game since Texas left town, allowing just three bases while having to pitch out only once (still leading the league with eight). But has everything -- including Martinez -- improved enough to allow for a move at the position to become less of a priority? 

Saturday night the questions were once again surfaced, but still never got answered. And that can't go on too much longer.