Weekly Red Sox Superlatives: Bard, Gonzo and Beckett
With the 2012 season now officially one week old, at least for the Red Sox it is time to once again look at our weekly superlatives. It’s been a less than pleasant start for the Sox and their dedicated fans. An unproductive 1-5 start has the fans growing restless and if things don’t get much better on the upcoming 9 game homestand then a riot on Yawkey Way could break out on any given day.
There have been some bright spots for the club, albeit there are more dark ones and a whole lot of question marks surrounding certain players and areas of the Olde Town Team. With that, here are this year’s first edition of the Weekly Superlatives.
The ‘Least Likely To Be Converted To A Reliever’ Award
With a nice, solid start to his starting pitching career, Daniel Bard may have bought himself some time before being sent to rescue the bullpen. Bard was decent through 5.0 innings, giving up 8 hits and 5 earned runs. He showed good command and the ability to stick to his pitches when he fell behind batters. It also helped Bard’s cause when Alfredo Aceves finally locked down a save in game one of the Jays series.
The ‘Most Likely To Raise His Batting Average At Home’ Award
Gonzo has once again proven to be an offensive catalyst for this club, leading the way with 6 RBI. Last year at home he hit an impressive .347 and we all know how much he likes to use the Green Monster to lag out a double. His batting average sits at .261, well below the level we’ve come to expect from Gonzalez, but with some home cooking for the next 9 games he is the most likely to dramatically boost his average.
The ‘Most Likely To Serve Up Batting Practice’ Award
The thumb of Josh Beckett was a huge concern before his first start in Detroit and after he and manager Bobby V downplayed the situation, Beckett went out and served up batting practice for the Tigers. When the balls were finally finished flying out of Comerica Park, Beckett had given up five dingers (which tied a career high) in just 4.2 innings of work . With his second start scheduled on Friday, if he can’t keep the ball in the yard his thumb could once again take center stage. His ERA is currently higher than John Lackey‘s which could be an award in itself; 13.50. Although it is only one start.
For all the latest news and analysis from BoSox Injection, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or with our RSS feed.