I promised myself I wasn’t going to post about this. I prayed something would be different. In the end I was compelled to write.
If anyone has been following me for the past three years, they know how I feel about Daisuke Matsuzaka. For those of you newly exposed to my special brand of Dice vitriol, here’s the Reader’s Digest condensed version.
He’s the worst kind of pitcher. A nibbler who refuses to attack the plate. A high-wire, without a net act that loads the bases in very stupid ways and either inexplicably wriggles off the hook or pays for it dearly while leaving you gentle viewer praying to the baseball gods for reprieve. His delivery has more release points then there are known angles. His is a nightmare to watch. Everyone got how I feel? OK, I think I can move on. Oh wait, I’m talking about Dice-K. I’m stuck.
"In his second start for Boston since coming back from Tommy John surgery Matsuzaka underscored and punctuated with an exclamation point all my bad feelings about any long-term benefit he provides to the Red Sox."
Against one of the worst team in baseball, the Chicago Cubs, Dice-K walked the bases full at Wrigley Field yesterday afternoon in the fist inning and then gave up and two-run single that had Boston down 2-0 faster than you could say rehab start.
In the second Ryan Dempster clocked a one out triple and scored after Dice-K beaned Starlin Castro and David DeJesus singled home Dempster.
True the Boston offense did nothing to help Matsuzaka’s cause as Boston went down 3-0. Matsuzaka worked 6 complete innings, threw 93 pitches, walked three, struck out three and lost. In short a typical Dice-K outing.
I hate to say it but get used to this when Dice takes the bump.