Some interesting conceptual thoughts as we await the inevitable lack of offense now that we know Senor Manuel Ramirez is taking another long holiday …
Josh Beckett may need to dial up his high school heat to mow through another win tonight.
Can you imagine what you would have done if someone told you a month ago that the Yankees would be within two games of the Sox, and that the Sox would need key contributions from Eric Hinske to find a way to beat the Devil Rays? I’ll bet you would have laughed. We would have, too. Now, we want to cry. All part of being a Boston fan, right?
Still, things should be good tonight. Should be. And there have been a lot of disappointing shoulds in the past couple of weeks. With Josh Beckett on the mound looking for win No. 20, the Sox should be dialed in on getting just enough offense at the Trop to get a win. It’ll be interesting to see if the anemic, injury-riddled offense can do that minus Manny, Kevin Youkilis, Coco Crisp and hell, any power outside of Big Papi and the indefatiguable Mike Lowell.
Incidentally, there’s an equally shocking response to another offensive Sox question: What would you have said if told that the two most consistent Sox hitters over the course of the season would be Dustin Pedroia and Lowell? It’s truly amazing, isn’t it? Can Lowell’s role be overemphasized? And can Pedroia’s amazing season be played up enough? I’m not sure it can. The Mighty Mite has gone from being a short-term survivor to an almost sure-fire rookie of the year. And Lowell - worth noting that it’s a monster contract year for him, isn’t it - has been nothing short of spectacular. If he’s not the second best third baseman in the AL, well, whoever’s compiling the list is kidding him or herself.
Still, that just reframes tonight’s question, doesn’t it? Now it reads, “Can Lowell, Pedroia, Papi and maybe Jacoby Ellsbury do enough to get past a suddenly viable Tampa Bay lineup? And Scott Kazmir?”
So we’ll be brief. To be honest, we tried to kick our ass into blogging something last night, but we were too distracted by the latest Terry Francona act of incredible flexibility, stabbing himself in the back with his dinner fork, this time by leaving Eric Gagne in after his control took a late flight back to the states from Toronto.
Hey Tito, wouldn’t this one be easier to slide into your upper scapula?
Seriously, does anyone have any idea how the hell this is happening? And is there any way we can just move past this whole painful collapse thing if all Red Sox fans agree to take five giant punches to the gut at exactly the same time around the world? I’d sign on for that right now without a second thought. We really would.
Tonight the Sox get another shot at redemption … again. And again it falls on the young arm of Clay Buchholz, who’ll be starting for the first time since his no-hitter against the Orioles. In fact, the last time he pitched it was also against the Orioles, and he didn’t give up any runs then, either. Toronto may be a slightly different scene, but the stakes and pressure will be even higher, if anything.
Amazingly, the sight of a rookie on the mound is actually comforting. Buchholz has been one of the few players who looks like he’s thrived in pressure spots in the second half of the season. There have been flashes of clutch Big Papi moments and others when he looks flamed out. Dustin Pedroia has generally looked terrific, Mike Lowell has been outstanding and Jacoby Ellsbury, last night’s game-ending strikeout aside, still looks like the guy you want up with the game on the line. That, of course, doesn’t say much about Monsieur J.D. Drew.
On the mound, Josh Beckett continue to be “the man”, but outside of him, the rotation suddenly looks like a Palestinian mine field. Shockingly, Jon Lester has been the next most consistent option the past two weeks, and despite his earlier struggles of late, Daisuke Matsuzaka’s last outing against the Yankees leaves plenty of optimism about his postseason chances. It was a huge game and he pitched terrificly. It’s not his fault he got stuck with a loss.
Ummmm, anyone think we can get Kason back? We’ll take him.
That, of course, leads us to the bullpen, which is too brutal to even talk about right now. We can’t bring ourselves to do it. So we won’t.
Instead, we’ll get back to looking for that extended BBQ fork. We may not be as flexible as Tito, but it’s hard not to get into the self-mutilating action right about now.
How do you know when you get the short straw after a rough weekend? When your work trip doesn’t just start on Monday, it also starts in another country.
Tim Wakefield was on pace for a near-record year before his last two starts. A return to form would be a huge boon for the Sox.
Uggghhh.
The bigger issue, and one that bears watching for more extended ramifications, revolves around the 42 year-old knuckleballer who’ll take the hill in the bottom of the first coming off two of the rougher outings not only of this year, but also his career.
Let’s face it, Tim Wakefield has been channeling something from a different universe this year. He’s pitched better than he has in any year since his first in a Sox uniform. In fact, he may be pitching better than he has in any year except 1995, when he was the biggest factor behind the Pittsburgh Pirates’ surge to the NLCS. Barry Bonds, a Wakefield teammate on the Buccos, still claims that Pittsburgh would have made the World Series if Wake had thrown Game 7 on no rest. He may be right.
Tonight, Wake will be focusing on bouncing back and proving he can still be a valuable asset in the postseason. Of course, Boston could really use a Wakefield win right about now to make sure they get there. While winning two of three - let alone a sweep, which was eminently possible - from the Yankees over the weekend would have all but wrapped things up, the Sox now have to scramble to take games from a Toronto team that hasn’t cooled off over the last month, and is suddenly slightly healthier and a little closer to being the squad that some analysts thought had the inside track on the AL Wild Card or even the East Division title.
Instead, that crown should rest squarely on the Sox’s heads by the end of the month. What happens from there out depends on a number of disparate factors. Will Manny Ramirez return and be any modicum of his usual oblivious, productive self? Will Big Papi’s knees hold up just enough to make him the masher he’s been over the past half decade? Will Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia, true unknown factors in September and October, continue the torrid pace both have set over much of the summer.
Manny returns would help the Sox down the stretch, too. Not to mention in the playoffs.
But all of those concerns are far down the list from those revolving around the pitching staff, which needs a shot in the arm, hopefully figuratively rather than literally. Tonight, Wakefield could be that shot. Or he could end up taking one. Either way, it’d be hard to be surprised.
Three out of four in Baltimore isn’t bad, right? I mean, when you go on the road, anytime you take three out of four is good, right?
Another strong Josh Beckett start was among the positives the Sox could take away from Maryland.
Normally that’s the case. And to a large extent it’s the case here, too. But with the fiery implosion of Daisuke Matsuzaka Saturday night, taking three out of four in Baltisnore, losing a half game on the lead over the surging Yanks in the process, almost felt like slipping slowly under while treading water.
And anytime you’re holding steady in the best circumstances, falling under in the worst, that’s not a good thing.
Nonetheless, there was plenty of good that came out of the Baltimore bake job. So let’s look at the positives:
1) Josh Beckett had a second-straight start back on the straight and narrow. After a solid outing marred mostly by a single bad pitch, Beckett cruised in Baltimore, getting his 18th win in the process. Not a bad bounce back season, eh?
2) The Jacoby Ellsbury experiment continued to thrive, with the outfielder coming through with a handful of terrific plays in the field, launching a passel of hits and seemingly taking a firm hold of the lead-off spot in the process. Obviously that last claim is apt to be revised depending on Terry Francona’s mental stability and the sensitivity of other Red Sox - because we all know Tito’s big on holding players’ hands - but Ellsbury has been nothing short of a revelation in his first week.
3) Clay Buchholz in relief? Looks like a good fit. We know that he can’t start because of the preseason prescribed 155-inning limit on his pitching work. But if Buchholz can be effective in two and three inning spurts, that’s another weapon in the bullpen, which with the sudden moderate ineffectiveness of Hideki Okajima and the extended injury of Eric Gagne, is a big help.
It wasn’t a no-hitter, but Buchholz’s three innings of relief on Thursday were still dazzling.
4) Big Papi finally looks like Big Papi. He was crushing balls all over Camden Yards, which was a reassuring sight, particularly with the absence of Manny Ramirez. The Sox need the power, and that takes a huge burden off of Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis, who are finally hitting simultaneously, which makes the lineup turn over a lot better, to say the least.
And now, of course, the Sox get Tampa Bay, which should be patsy No. 2 on the radar. But outside of Tim Wakefield, whose success against the Rays is more than legendary, no other games should be a lock. Carlos Pena is hitting like a machine, the young Tampa pitching staff is finally starting to click a bit, and there’s plenty of reason for the Florida flounders to be optimisitc; they’ve won five of their last six series, after all.
Does that mean that Tampa will hold off the Sox tonight? Hardly. But it does add intrigue to a matchup that’s lacked it for quite some time, doesn’t it?
We certainly think so. And that gives us more than enough reason to tune in.
As we prepare for the latest incursion by the senior blowhard of the Red Sox staff (cough, cough Curt Schilling, cough), with the latest Baseball-Reference preview, it’s hard not to turn the spotlight to one of his younger - much younger - teammates.
So far, Jacoby Ellsbury has been a hit with teammates and fans.
Jacoby Ellsbury has been as hot as nearly any big league hitter in both of his call-ups this season. Statistically, it’s undeniable. The only question is whether he can keep it up, and where the Sox can possibly find a spot for him if he does. Tonight that spot is No. 2, in this lineup:
Red Sox
1. Julio Lugo, SS
2. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Mike Lowell, 3B
5. J.D. Drew, RF
6. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
7. Jason Varitek, C
8. Coco Crisp, CF
9. Alex Cora, 2B
SP - Curt Schilling
Blue Jays
1. Vernon Wells, CF
2. Matt Stairs, LF
3. Alex Rios, RF
4. Frank Thomas, DH
5. Troy Glaus, 3B
6. Lyle Overbay, 1B
7. Aaron Hill, 2B
8. Gregg Zaun, C
9. John McDonald, SS
SP - Shaun Marcum
Ellsbury’s homer last night was his second in a Boston uni, tied for the number he put up as a member of the Portland Sea Dogs and PawSox prior to his arrival. With his speed and remarkably trusty glove, the youngster has been an absolute revelation, filling in a humongous chunk of the production lost with Manny Ramirez’s absence, while also solving many of the defensive problems often associated with Senor “Being”.
Still, that’s not the dilemma. What is an interesting conundrum is figuring out where Boston will put the Native American speedster when Manny returns. Not surprisingly, there’s a growing torch brigade campaigning for him to take over the everyday spot in right field.
That raises an interesting question all its own. Should the Sox A) Throw the $14 million man under the bus for one stretch drive? Or should they B) Stick with J.D. Drew as the everyday man and use Ellsbury as a pinch runner and sub extrordinaire?
The answer to that question is clearly A. And anyone willing to argue on Drew’s behalf clearly must be more than 100 miles away from the Boston metro area, otherwise they’d already be lynched.
Make no mistake, there’s little to no chance that Ellsbury can keep up his preposterous pace. He’s just not going to hit .430 people, it’s not going to happen. Now, that doesn’t mean that he won’t hit .300 or above, and it doesn’t mean that he won’t cause conniption fits whenever he reaches base, either.
And that’s the biggest reason to keep him in the lineup, at all costs. Ellsbury is the perfect, prototypical lead-off hitter the Sox have been desperate for all year. He’s exactly what Julio Lugo was supposed to be but hasn’t lived up to: a strong contact hitter who plays up to the stage on which he’s performing. He gets on base, he keeps rallies floating, he’s even used to hitting in front of perennial No. 2 man Dustin Pedroia.
Catches like this: Just another reason why Jacoby is an early fan favorite in the Hub.
So why not use the new No. 46 every day? We’ve got no answer for that. The question is whether Tito Francona and Theo Epstein will be able manufacture one. If their earlier full-court press for outfielder Jermaine Dye at the trade deadline is any indication, we’re betting that they won’t have one.
And that, in the end, may be the best Ellsbury development of all. Let the kid play. He may not hit every time, but he sure as hell is going to go down swinging while trying.
After a rain out, it’s always hard to read how the next day’s matchup will go. Which pitcher warmed up more? (Answer: Josh Beckett) Which pitcher is less likely to be phased? (Answer: Josh Beckett) Which pitcher will be more affected by a late night before an early afternoon start? (Answer: Josh Beckett)
Beckett: More than ready to go.
What do you get when one guy is the answer to all those questions? We haven’t the slightest.
Beckett’s proved malleable to changing situations in the past - a rain-delayed Game 6 of the 2003 World Series, perhaps? - but no one really knows what to expect from Jon Danks on a short turnaround. For that matter, does anyone really know what to expect from Danks yet, period? We didn’t think so.
In fact, that could be a significant advantage for the ChiSox this afternoon. The White Sox have definitely seen plenty of Beckett. The Red Sox have seen very little of Danks. Advantage? Danks.
So how can we break down a game that is so thoroughly out of its intended context? Try a little bit of roster breakdown. The Red Sox will role out this lineup, assuming that they don’t substitute anyone (cough, cough Dustin Pedroia, cough) back in at an early morning meeting:
Alex Cora, 2B
Kevin Youkilis, 1B
David Oritz, DH
Manny Ramirez, LF
Mike Lowell, 3B
Bobby Kielty, RF
Jason Varitek, C
Coco Crisp, CF
Julio Lugo, SS
A couple notes from that prospective group jump out: 1) Bobby Kielty gets the start to face a lefty, which is equal parts endorsement of the job he’s done early in his acquisition and condemnation of $14 million a year albatross J.D. Drew’s inability to hit lefthanders himself. 2) There’s more speed in the turn of this lineup than any other, with Ferraris Coco Crisp and Julio Lugo passing the torch to Alex Cora at the top, assuming that Pedroia doesn’t slip back in, of course. (Random gratuitous author’s note: Has anyone else noticed that Pedroia looks like a 42 year-old manager of a Motel 6 when he’s not in his uniform? He stumbled out on the field in shorts and a warm up shirt last night and looked one pack of Camel Reds short of a character in a Vincent Gallo movie. It was truly eerie.)
Jermaine Dye: The Red Sox wanted him, but the Yankees will be cheering his bat for the next three days.
So, will those changes be enough for a big win, with the Yankees back in the same time zone at reeling Detroit? We’ll see in a few hours. After all the rain delays last night, it’s about time.
It’s just not fair. Jon Lester gets to roll out five innings in which he racks up 100+ pitches and gives up five runs, and he gets a win. Meanwhile, Daisuke Matsuzaka throws a two-run, two-hit gem through seven innings, and he gets the cold shoulder and another loss.
The Dice Man was on last night, but he still got tagged with another loss.
Somehow, while Manny Ramirez was off in Mannyland (where were the dugout cameras last night? How do we know he wasn’t petting another teammate’s head?) and David Ortiz was forgetting that he wasn’t in his car that’s being sold on eBay, Dice-K was tossing another terrific game. And, as has been the case since the All-Star break, he wasn’t getting any support. None. You’d think the Rangers could have spared a few of the 30 they dropped on Baltimore last night, wouldn’t you?
So now he’s the third-winningest pitcher on the staff, even though recent performances might indicate that he’s been the best. It’s just not fair.
Manny had plenty of time to be Manny yesteerday, but Dice-K could have used his bat.
Then again, maybe it’s just Tampa Bay. Against all odds, the Devil Rays have confounded Kaibutsu worse than any other team he’s faced. They pushed across six runs against him at Fenway Park, stunning considering the fact that he’s never allowed more than five against any other team. They’ve beaten him twice at Tropicana Field with horrible pitchers - Andy Sonnanstine and Edwin Jackson anyone? - even though those games have been vintage Dice-K performances; lots of pitches, lots of strikeouts and nearly no runs allowed.
So why does he keep getting stuck with losses? We can’t figure it out. But we do know one thing: The Sox offense better get in gear for his starts by the time the playoffs come around. Boston’s planning on seeing a lot of The Monster on the mound come October.
On the fourth day, God decided he’d put the Red Sox through a lot and he let them rest. And he decried: Get thee to Baltimore. And it was good. And the next night they played, in the shadow of a Maryland event to prop up Orioles support that had gone flat, and Dice-K pitched. And here were the stats from Baseball-Reference
Big Papi should be back in the lineup tonight in Baltimore. Maybe he’ll even get a late hit?
And here’s a look at the overall series, courtesy your paper of record, the Globe
NOTABLES
- Bobby Kielty’s dismal Pawtucket debut may have slowed the “get Wily Mo on the next plane” freight train (if only we could work a bus reference into that sentence!) in the Hub … for a few minutes. Rumors about interested parties have quelled significantly of late, but it’s hard to believe a team like Kansas City wouldn’t take a jump at him for a couple of low prospects. That in itself is a depressing realization, isn’t it? We’re going to end up with two mid-level prospects from Bronson Arroyo? If we’re lucky!?!
- J.D. Drew’s performance in center Wednesday night was said to be so reassuring that Terry Francona may use him there more often. Of course, that raises the following question: Why aren’t we playing Coco Crisp out there? Every night! He’s been on fire. Are we the only ones who feel like the Sox may be setting up contingencies so they can ship Coco in the offseason amidst the Jacoby Ellsbury hysteria?
- Terrific piece by Gordon Edes in today’s Globe about - gulp - Big Papi’s lack of clutch hitting. But almost equally significant was the revelation that in 2007, the two Sox with the best late inning deliveries have been Dustin Pedroia and Jason Varitek. What do you think the Vegas odds on that fact would have been before the season started?
- Erik Bedard struggled at Fenway last week. Anyone feeling confident he’s going to lay two eggs in a row? Yeah, didn’t think so.
Thank God that West coast trip is over. You know that’s what the entire Red Sox roster was thinking on the flight back home last night.
There’s nothing low about Lohan on the beach.
While the sox are taking the afternoon off today, fans had a chance to ponder three sloppy games, two of which ended up in the loss column. Then there was last night’s debacle, terribly pitched through five innings, then saved by terrific late bullpen work and smoking bat work from Dustin Pedroia and Mike Dr. Double Lowell.
But let’s not get away from ourselves here, right? The Sox pulled out a win, but they hardly did so smoothly. Perhaps most significantly, Jon Boy Lester solidified his spot as the most consistently inconsistent - not to mention inefficient - starting pitcher in the bigs.
The line from the Boy Beats Cancer Wonder? 3 1/3 innings and a whopping 93 pitches. That’s right, 93 pitches. Ouch.
Still, Lester is an unbelievably tantalizing factor. When he’s on, the youngster can seem almost unhittable. When he’s not, well, he’s a disaster.
In fact, he’s just like Lindsay Lohan that way. Keep her away from drugs and keys, and she’s a slam dunk. Or in Lester’s case, just keep him away from meatball off-speed pitches over the heart of the plate. Like Lohan’s substance issues, Lester’s substance of pitches issues are becoming a trend, too. Both are equally problematic.
Remember, Lohan doesn’t mix well with alcohol. Or cocaine.
In the end of the night will you take the Lester start? Sure. You feel better getting as much of him as you can while he holds the opponent to 3 or 4 runs. After all, if he keeps going at current pace, Lester will finish with a 1-0 record in 12 starts. He just has to hope that Manny, Dustin and Dr. Double keep hitting for him.
And if they don’t? Uggh. May be a lot more like Lindsay’s recent struggles out there in L.A. Maybe the Sox saw them first hand out there over the past three days. They definitely saw what they would look like in their baseball manifestation.
There’s just no explaining it, is there? I’m giving up. Maybe the writers will delve into it, but I’m just willing to write off Safeco as an official house of horrors at this point. Let’s get a referendum started, shall we? In the meantime, here’s today’s best pieces:
Big Papi had a big night, but it wasn’t enough.
PROVIDENCE JOURNAL
Lester’s grit a show of pride - It’s really a shame that Sean McAdam doesn’t write more often, isn’t it? When he does, he tends to churn out gems like this piece about the effect Jon Lester has had on his family, and even fans and onlookers.
Drew on bench after son’s surgery - See, McAdam can be great! This is another terrific heart-string piece, even though it’s mainly a notebook. Tremendous stuff.
BOSTON HERALD
Time to make their move - Herald columnist Tony Massaroti may have hit the nail on the head with this piece: the Sox need to make hay in August and put the division significantly out of reach. If they don’t, well, they’ll only have themselves to blame for a collapse.
Sox try to help Lester - Ever wonder how rolling deadlines affect newspapers in print editions? Just check out this Rob Bradford story … which was the last one the Herald could use for complete syndication. The West coast is just a killer sometimes.
BOSTON GLOBE
‘Wally’ roughs up shocked Lucchino - We don’t know where the inimitable Gordon Edes found this one, but it’s a truly fantastic oddball story, and truly can’t be missed. We’d say more, but it would clearly spoil the thunder from the punchline. We’ll stop now before mixing any more metaphors.
Pedroia is now hitting his stride - Edes side feature is all about mighty-mite Dustin Pedroia, and how he may have a big impact down the stretch.
