The Red Sox have two main questions that have come to the forefront since the re-emergence of the offense with Victor Martinez: who will solidify the rotation after Beckett and Lester and how should Francona utilize Jason Varitek behind the plate. Clay Buchholz has done his part, pitching solidly, not outstandingly, but well enough to keep the team in the game and that we can feel confident with him on the mound. The number four and five starters are still up in the air with Wakefield making only one start every two weeks due to a back injury, Paul Byrd and Junichi Tazawa each with the ability to look like batting practice pitchers, and Daisuke Matsuzaka on his way back, but no one knows whether or not he'll be any different than the guy we booed off the roster earlier in the season. The optimum situation would be for Matsuzaka to come back close to 2008 form and Wakefield to pitch effectively and on schedule, fighting through the pain, but chances are slim and Tito will have to piece it together one game at a time. The Varitek question is also a sensitive one. There's no question that the best offensive lineup is with Martinez behind the plate and Tek on the bench. Some say Tek needs to catch a few games a week because he calls such a good game behind the plate, but that seems less concrete given Buchholz's and Lester's success with Martinez behind the plate and Beckett's equally rough outings with either catcher. Another reason that few are as a quick to admit, but feel nonetheless, is that Tek is the captain and hometown favorite. His leadership is unquestionable, but leadership is always questioned when the team doesn't win and they're less likely to win with Tek in the lineup, plain and simple. I agree with Lou Merloni, saying that Tek is now the backup catcher and should catch only when Martinez needs a day off behind the plate (most likely with Beckett on the mound according to Francona). We'll have to see how the lineup looks down the stretch in must-win games.
The upcoming two game series with the Baltimore Orioles is a chance for the Sox to get back on track against a weaker team, though the Orioles can still hit pretty well. The Sox are still in control of the Wild Card with a 2.5 game lead over the Rangers (the Rays look to be out of it at seven games out), but can't sit back yet. Neither Beckett nor Lester will pitch so the back end of the rotation will be in focus against the O's lineup, though they will be without star CF Adam Jones (top prospect from Seattle in the Erik Bedard trade) who has an ankle injury. The Sox desperately need to take both games after losing three of four to the White Sox and especially considering they're at Fenway. The Rays and Rangers both have gotten hit with some injuries but are not backing down, so we need to keep trying to win each series. Also, without Beckett pitching and a day off scheduled for after the series, it's likely we won't see Tek start either game.
Tuesday 7:10 PM NESN Buchholz (4-3, 4.40 ERA) vs. Hernandez (4-6, 4.54 ERA)
Wednesday 7:10 PM NESN Byrd (1-1, 7.56 ERA) vs. Berken (4-11, 6.07 ERA)
GAME 1
Buchholz got rocked in his last start against the O's, unable to make it five innings to qualify for the win on a day when the offense manhandled the O's pitching staff. This is a new Buchholz however, as most would agree. If he can command his fastball, he should give a quality start and if he has his good curveball, he could dominate. Look for him to settle into a groove at some point, hopefully with minimal damage early and the Sox lineup to handle the rest. The game could be close however, if Buck can't find the zone early and Hernandez stumbles into one of his occasional solid outings.
GAME 2
Byrd has had one good and one bad start this season and in this one, all we need is a chance to win. Six innings and three or four runs should get the job done, but who knows if Byrd is up to it. Berken has gotten hit around hard this year by the Sox, losing twice, once not even making it out of the second inning. If Byrd can just get it to the pen in tact, the offense should be able to handle the rest.
No comments:
Post a Comment