Series Wrap-up: Angels @ Red Sox
Here we go again. New series, same old result. What starts out with a bang, ends with a fizzle. This year’s group of Red Sox just can’t seem to get on a consistent roll. I’m talking the kind of roll when you win 5 or 6 in a row, drop one, then win another 4 or 5 in a row and so on and so forth. They need that type of roll to get out of the basement in the AL East and start getting closer to the division lead before it gets out of hand. Is it time for the panic button? No, not yet, but there continues to be grave concern with this ball club after this series against the Angels.
The first two games of the series had the Red Sox playing some great baseball. They faced the two best pitchers in the AL so far this season in Jered Weaver and Dan Haren. And if you go back to the series finale against Seattle and facing Felix Hernandez, the Red Sox had faced three straight “ace” caliber pitchers. The Sox beat all three thanks in part to some good starting pitching, but mainly some key hits from the offense. Pedroia led the charge, Monday night with a heroic at bat and Tuesday saw Adrian Gonzalez hit his first home run at Fenway. Buchholz and Lester picked up the wins on Monday and Tuesday and both were sharp, especially Lester, going 7 innings, giving up 6 hits and only 1 earned run. He struck out a season high 11 batters for his fourth win on the year. Monday’s game also saw the offense explode for 6 runs in the 7th inning and it was the kind of display of power everyone had been waiting to see. Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Youkilis had doubles while David Ortiz belted his 3rd home run of the year. All signs looked great after 2 games in the series.
Then the rains came and with it, the Red Sox momentum seemed to get washed away. Thanks to a two and a half hour rain delay that knocked Josh Beckett out of the game, the Red Sox needed a 9th inning rally to send the game to extra innings. A couple of base running mistakes cost the Red Sox this game and there has been much debate as to whether or not Marco Scutaro should’ve tried for home in the bottom of the 12th only to get thrown out at the plate. With one out, why not hold the runner? But that’s behind us now. Dice-K came on in the 13th, gave up 2 runs, Red Sox go down in order in their half and it’s game over. After almost 8 hours from the first pitch, the game ended. A big kudos to those few hundred fans that stuck it out and were there until the bitter end. Very impressive.
Thursday afternoon meant a chance to win the series for the Red Sox and on the hill was John Lackey. The club desperately needed Lackey to eat some innings due to the marathon the night before (and earlier that morning). That game had depleted the Sox bullpen and with Rich Hill and Scott Atchison up from Pawtucket for relief, Lackey needed to be sharp. Problem was, he was anything but sharp. He was once again, dreadful. He threw 4 innings, gave up 10 hits and 8 runs, all earned. He looked like the Lackey that started the season so miserably. His command downright sucked and his velocity apparently stayed in bed this morning because it sure as hell wasn’t in this game. As for the relief help? Atchison can probably start heading for the airport, because he’ll be back in Pawtucket as quickly as he left. He went 3.2 innings, giving up 3 runs on 7 hits. It was hardly the relief the Sox needed and they got routed 11-0.
Series Monstah’
Big Papi’ is this series Monstah’. He went 7 for 15 at the plate over the four games, with 3 RBI and 2 home runs. Thanks to the nice offensive outburst, his average on the year sits at .295 and has long put to rest the worries of another slow start to his year.
The Last Word:
When things look good for this team, that’s when they find trouble. They go out and beat 3 of best pitchers in the game and then fall asleep for the next two games. Championship ball clubs have their share of struggles throughout the course of a grinding season. But those clubs don’t endure 6 weeks of those struggles. The Red Sox aren’t getting it done on a consistent basis. Mental mistakes have cost this club some wins and with a Twins team that’s found some life of late, the Red Sox better check their ego at the door on Friday and realize only they can help themselves. Only they can pull together some W’s and it better start soon.
If you think I’m being to hard on the Sox and think that the marathon game and an early start on Thursday took it’s toll on the team, think again. The same Angels team was involved in the long game the night before and they didn’t show any ill effects anywhere on Thursday.
On Deck:
The last visitor of this 11 game home stand will be the Minnesota Twins as they kick off another 4 game series in Boston. The series gets going Friday and will wrap up Monday night. For more on this series, look for my Series Snapshot post.
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