What a crazy week it was for the Boston Red Sox. Of the 9 games they played since last Friday, 6 were 1-run contests or were decided in the final at-bat. We saw a few clutch performances, including the rare walk-off hit-by-pitch, as well as some amazing and awful pitching performances. The deeper into Spring games we get, the more meaningful they become, as the starting pitchers begin to get stretched out and the lineup begins to fall into place. There was also some great news on a the injury front this week, maybe opening the door for a Red Sox star to finally see some game action this upcoming week. All those story lines and more in this week’s edition of Red Sox Notebook.
Clay Buchholz is Lights Out
What a Spring thus far for Clay Buchholz. He is coming into this season with more pressure and expectation after a strong 2010, so to perform at a high level will mean he has to push aside all that outside media pressure and just concentrate on pitching. In 9 innings this Spring, spread over 3 appearances, Buchholz has allowed just 5 hits and 0 earned runs, while striking out 6 batters. He would love to continue to stretch out his arm and roll right into the regular season on a strong string of impressive starts. With a ton of attention on who will be the opening day starter, mostly surrounding Jon Lester and Josh Beckett, Buchholz can just get himself ready to pitch at some point in the opening road trip. In order to repeat last year’s performance, he is going to have to continue to improve his command and perhaps increase his strikeout total a bit. Buchholz took home the hardware yesterday in my Weekly Superlatives column.
Daisuke Matsuzaka Struggles Again
Here we go again. Daisuke Matsuzaka is once again showing why most of the Red Sox fan base is frustrated with him by dropping stink bombs on the mound. Yes, it is Spring Training, but does anyone believe Dice-K can actually be a strong member of the Red Sox rotation anymore? In 3.2 innings yesterday, Dice-K allowed 5 earned runs on 5 hits, while walking the 1st 2 batters he faced in the 1st inning. He also allowed a home run to John Jaso, making it just another typical Dice-K line-score. If he continues to struggle, when is the point in which the Red Sox choose to cut their losses and let him go? It is clear to everyone that the dominant starter they recruited from Japan is in fact a flop, with the exception of 1 solid season. It could be a long season once again with Mr. Walk. For more on Dice-K, check out Rick’s post from yesterday.
Adrian Gonzalez is Almost Back
Gonzalez has been watched closely for the past few weeks as he recovers and gets into game shape. He has slowly taken more swings off a tee and then more swings off of live pitching with no side-effects, so now the moment we have all been waiting for is just around the corner. As of now, Gonzalez will likely make his Red Sox Spring debut in a game next week, which would officially mark the beginning of the Red Sox super-team that was assembled this off-season. If he gets through a few games without side-effects, it will be safe to say he is back and will likely be ready for opening day. It is all good news for the slugger and the Red Sox, who have taken their time easing the first baseman back into live action. They want to give him a massive, long-term deal after opening day, so caution is the name of the game.
Yamaico Navarro is Mr. Clutch
What a Spring for Yamaico Navarro this far. He is hitting .364 with a home run and 4 RBIs, but is making his money in clutch, late game situations. This week, Navarro had 2 walk-offs, one an RBI single and the other a hit-by-pitch. Thankfully, Navarro is feeling ok after being hit in the wrist, because he is certainly grabbing some attention from fans and media. He could potentially play a pivotal role for the Red Sox if anyone in the infield gets injured, because he appears to be developing skills at most infield positions, even though he is a naturally a 3rd baseman. With Jed Lowrie slotted on the bench, Navarro will not have a seat right away in the majors, but he will likely be one of the 1st few players waiting in the wings for a call-up this season. Check out Katherine’s post on Navarro from earlier in the week for her thoughts on the infielder. Also, deservedly so, Navarro was honored in yesterday’s Weekly Superlatives column.
Matt Fox is Turning Heads
The Red Sox picked Matt Fox up off of the waiver-wire last season from the Minnesota Twins, and although his numbers weren’t particularly good (10.80 ERA in 3 appearances), the Sox saw something they liked. They invited Fox to Spring Training this year as a non-roster invitee and he has impressed since being given his opportunity. In 3 appearances (4 innings), Fox has a team-high 7 strikeouts and has allowed just 1 run (a home run) on 2 hits. Fox is a dark-horse to make the major-league roster, but may play a role down the stretch if he continues to strike out batters at an impressive clip. For more information on Fox, check out my post from this week. Also, for the 1st and potentially last time in his career, Fox was honored in yesterday’s Weekly Superlatives column.
New Helmet Product for Pitchers
In other baseball related news this week, Easton-Bell Sports came out with a product to protect pitchers on the mound. It is a protective helmet-type devise that pads the head-area for pitchers, to prevent concussions and other injuries from line-drives back at the mound. For more information on the product, check out my post from this past week.
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