A WIN IS A WIN

This wasn't a "must win" game for the Sox, but it was a "screwed if you lose" game. With Halladay going tomorrow, and a favorable matchup tonight, this game would have been devastating to lose. And that nearly happened.

Josh Beckett had an off night. The Cult of Varitek will attribute the shaky outing to Victor Martinez calling the pitches. Then again, Beckett is 3-5 against Toronto the last 3 years, with a 5.95 ERA. And he's 1-2 in the Rogers Centre in that stretch.

Francona should tell hitters they're not playing then put them in the lineup more often. Remember when Youk charged the mound and Lowell replaced him? Lowell hit 2 HRs that day. David Ortiz was scratched for this game, but Varitek couldn't play due to neck spasms, shifting Martinez behind the plate, Youkilis to 1st, Lowell to 3rd, and opening up the DH spot for Ortiz (simple as that). Ortiz was 2 for 3 with a double and a homer. He knocked in 3 and walked twice. He's 5 for his last 11, with 7 walks mixed in. That's an OBP of .667.

Tomorrow night it's Clay "Can't Catch a Break" Buchholz against Roy Halladay. The Sox' bullpen is depleted, and I'd look forward to Thursday's game.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Darren Calabrese

SMOLTZ TO CARDINALS?

The whole John Smoltz situation has become very confused. He didn't seem to want to be a reliever for the Red Sox, the Sox didn't seem to want to turn him into a reliever, and now it looks as though the Cardinals want him as a reliever. But also, it seems like he wants to be a reliever for them.

John Smoltz's tenure in Boston will probably be a sidenote in Red Sox and baseball history, but the next time the Sox sign a scrap-heap pitcher who is either overweight...



or over the hill, I hope the rest of Red Sox Nation will be as cynical, skeptical, and pessimistic as I am. As a fanbase, we've been far too optimistic about guys the Sox take shots with.

And as far as the Red Sox go, I am sick and tired of their recent tendency to acquire 3 or 4 mediocre arms, and hope that 1 or 2 pan out. Getting a guy like Smoltz, or even Colon is fine. But when you depend on undependable pitchers becoming dependable, you can depend on finding yourself in a bad situation.

Source:
St. Louis Post-Dispatch