It wasn't exactly the Mother's day Miracle, but last night's Sox/O's game at Fenway was far from normal. The Sox bats broke out again last night, the second consecutive game putting up 8 or more runs, pulling off a come from behind victory after trailing 7-0 in the early going.
From a fan perspective, the emotional roller coaster that was last night's game ran wild, from texting my brother that I wasn't going to watch anymore in the 2nd inning, to screaming at my TV when JD legged out a triple without pulling anything, it was a wild game.
So the Sox got the win, but let's be honest, they had no business winning that game. Here is a summary of the good and the bad from last night, feel free to chime in with additions/thoughts/opinions:
The Good:
The Offense: Back to back games of crooked numbers on the scoreboard is a welcome sign for a lineup struggling to find its stroke. This lineup can go from mediocre to amazingly deep if they can find some consistency. Right now, it's Jay Bay and JD as the glue holding it together, that can last for some time, but not forever (see Ortiz comment below).
Dusty: I don't think anyone is sincerely concerned about the little man, we all know he'll hit, it's just a matter of when. Well last night may have been his break out game. It's no coincidence that he gets on base and the lineup produces behind him.
The Pen: We all knew this was going to one of the team's strongest assets, but thus far, did anyone think it would be this good? After spotting mopping up Dice-k's mess to throw 10 scoreless innings on Tuesday, they did a fantastic job of keeping the Sox in the game last night with six more scoreless frames.....and it's not just one or two guys shouldering the load, it's everyone...from Delcarmen to Ramirez to Lopez to Pap....more than solid.
The Real Bad:
Ortiz: In ITM's world, David Ortiz has officially lost the nickname "Big Sexy" (don't ask). Regardless, he has been neither big, nor sexy thus far. Safe to say we're all extra worried after he left 5 men on base last night and could not catch up with a plus fast ball. With each passing game the thought that Ortiz could have really "lost it" grows stronger. Also, the thought that he could really be 38 years old and not 33 continues to pop in my head..not good.
The Bad, but not too concerning:
Brad Penny: WTF was that?? After a productive outing in his first start as a Red Sox, he turns into a drunk Derek Lowe on the mound? The good news is, everything about this start seemed like an abnormality. An inability to throw strikes (even his fastball) and continuing to leave balls up in the zone are the direct opposite of trademark Penny. Let's hope that it was an one-off outing which Boston was lucky enough to win.
Starting Pitching: With last night’s performance, the Sox rotation now boasts a whopping 6.79 ERA, good enough for second worst in the American League. On average, the team has gotten 5.1 innings from its starters, and just two outings of more than six innings. These arms are better than this, and you got to believe numbers will begin to even out in time.
Next up on the mound, a pissed off Josh Beckett. Let's roll.
2 comments:
“Hopefully people are not worried about me,” said Ortiz. “People have been watching me for years. They know what they’re going to get. This is just a few good games and that’s it, you’re back in the groove.”
Sure hope so Papi, sure hope so.
Soxin09', another game behind us, and despite a 2 for 5 day, the frustration with Papi continues to build....
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