Dice-Done

Our long national nightmare is over. The report is that Daisuke Matsuzaka will undergo Tommy John surgery thereby ending his Red Sox career. And what did we get for a quadrillion dollars and our first born child, two halfway decent seasons and a prescription for Zantac for all of the indigestion. Good riddance.

Now, what happens with the back end of the rotation? Clearly, Aceves, while great to have in the pen can't keep starting every fifth day. John Lackey is still on the DL and was ineffective when he pitched anyway. It's not like the back end needs to pitch like Bob Gibson. They just need to be .500 or so. It also doesn't instill me with a lot of confidence when the Sox start their home stand by getting swept and are now down 4-0 to the A's with Buchholz, a supposed top line guy, pitching. The Sox are working very hard to undo the progress they made in May.

Dice-Konquerer

Sometimes I think I post on Dice-K just to see what kind of play on words in the title of the post. Anyhow... I don't think I have ever seen him this dominant after two awesome starts in a row. Last night he pitched eight shutout innings and gave up just a single hit as Boston has now taken the first three games of this four game series. Usually I'm happy if he can get through four with less that three runs. I'm trying not to get used to it, but if this continues with Jon Lester and Josh Beckett on the rolls that they're on, the Sox will be a force to be reckoned with.

Dice-Katastrophe

As good as Beckett was on Sunday. That's how bad Dice-K was yesterday. We'll never be able to trade his ass now. I was amazed at Beckett two nights ago. The curve ball looked filthy. When he's can locate the cutter and fast ball and can snap of the curve ball with regularity, he's one of the best. There's just been no consistency in a couple seasons.

I really have no more words about Dice-K. What a waste. They should just cut him. Beckett gives up two hits, Dice-K meanwhile pitches two innings.

At least we still have Lester. After 2 1/3 tonight he's looking pretty strong and just dealt a nasty fastball over the outside corner to get a backward K. Let's see if he can strike out Johnny Damon.

Has Dice-K Figured It Out?

I wish I could speak Japanese. If I could speak Japanese I could be a translator for a Fortune 500 company and travel to that Asian archipelago six times a year to close important deals. Perhaps I'd swing over to L.A. to talk business over cocktails with corporate bigwigs hosting their Japanese counterparts for lunch at Spago. Yeah, I'd be an insufferable toadie, but I'd probably make six figures. I could also tell Daisuke Matsuzaka in that delicate, surreptitious way that only the Japanese can to "Throw your freaking fastball and don't stop until I tell you!" I would have told him this a long, long time ago. Ask my friends.

Last night Dice-K, relying mainly on his fast ball, made short work of the Toronto line up and may have had his best outing as a major leaguer. The best part: he didn't walk a soul. He only gave up three hits and one run over seven innings while striking out nine. I can't remember the last time he went seven innings. The Sox beat the Jays 6-1.

If Dice-K has truly altered his approach, that makes the the Sox pitching rotation even more formidable. If only Josh Beckett could figure out what the hell to do with himself.

Sox Succumb to Angels. What now?

So Boston's 2009 season ends without to much of a fight as the Angels unceremoniously dispatch the Sox in three games. Though Beckett and Lester didn't have their A games, they didn't pitch horribly. The real problem was the offense. The Sox hit .158 and scored a mere seven runs in the series, six of which came in the final game. Were these the same Red Sox that finished third in all of baseball in runs? It's hard to believe that this is the same team that started with such a flourish and such lofty hopes. Yes, they won 95 games, but the way things ended, it feels like only 75. The framework will be there for another run in 2010, but there are many questions as Boston heads into the off season.

The first thing that comes to mind is that this is such a potentially undignified way for Jason Varitek's career in Boston to come to an end; without so much as a plate appearance in the post season. His contract contains both player and team options for 2010, but my guess is that Theo will just choose to buy him out and let the captain seek his fortune elsewhere. This, of course, is the right thing for Epstien to do, and it would be the right thing even if Victor Martinez wasn't waiting in the wings. Varitek has become both a liability at the plate and in the field as base runners have consistently turned things into a track meet when Tek catches. If this is the way it ends for Jason in Boston, it's far from ideal, but for athletes, the end seldom is.

My next big concern is Jonathan Papelbon. His meltdown in game three was just the culmination of his struggles this season. Though Paps saved 38 of 41 games, anyone who watched him could see that he was toeing a very thin line all season. He walked more batters than he ever has since becoming the Sox closer (24 compared to an average of 12 the last three seasons) and his WHIP was over 1.100, not very good for a closer. His time of dominance may be coming to an end. It will be interesting to see how the Sox treat him in the off season. Will they avoid arbitration again?

Another big concern in the pitching department is Dice-K. They're stuck with him through 2012 and spent a boat load of money. I will be curious to see if he will develop into a legit ace or if he will join the ranks of Mike Hampton and Carl Pavano in the free-agent-pitching-bust hall of crap. I think next season is a make or break year for him.

Finally, will the Sox retain Jason Bay? The word on the street is that he wants to stay in Boston, but we all know money talks. I would love to see the Sox keep him. He fits in well and adds some much needed pop to the lineup. But I'm not sure if the Sox will want to match what he may command in the open market. What will the cost be? Four, five, six years? $80 million? The fact is that while Bay probably has several very productive years ahead of him he is 31 years old. That could mean production until 38, or he could be washed up by 34. You have to straddle that fence very carefully. He is probably more valuable to the Sox than anyone else. I would be fine with five years $70-$75 million.

At least the Sox have some very important pieces in place. Youkilis and Pedroia are firmly entrenched as leaders and the catalysts of the lineup. Beckett and Lester left little question that they are a formidable two headed monster in the starting rotation. And Clay Buchholz emerged as a solid number three. Ellsbury will remain a menace on the bases. There will continue to be age concerns with Lowell and Big Papi, but hopefully their production will be worth their inevitable time spent on the DL. On paper, the Sox will be contenders again, but one thing I just can't shake is that late season swoon, the seemingly apathetic approach to September baseball. Their biggest mistake was the belief in the fallacy that they could simply turn it on just as the leaves turn in October. The Angels were just hungrier. Complacence is dangerous.

Dice-K Good, Sabathia Better

Matsuzaka was his old self last night as he pitched around five walks en route to allowing just one run in seven innings. Unfortunately for the Sox, C.C. Sabathia looked masterful again. If he's finally learned how to pitch to the Sox, we're dead. In spite of it all, Dice-K looks more than adequate to serve as the Sox fourth starter in the playoffs considering how well Lester, Buchholz, and Beckett have pitched lately.

I was hoping the Sox could make things a little tougher on the Yanks and delay the inevitable a bit longer. I at least wanted NY to have to work to clinch the division and expend just a bit more energy prior to the post season, but it was not to be.

This may be the last time we see Sox and Yanks this season, and to tell the truth, I'm not sure if I care to see another match up in the ALCS. I can't stay up for five hour games that don't start until 9 PM. I can't stomach the Fox coverage and the Bucky Dent/Aaron Boone/Big Papi/ Curt Schilling mini feature film montage at the outset of every game. When you watch that, it's no wonder why the rest of the country can't stand either team.

Tonight we've got two old, crafty pitchers on the mound in the form of Paul Byrd and Andy Pettttitttte. I predict that they will both be out by the fourth inning. Final score: Sox 12, Yanks 10. It will be over just before I go to work tomorrow on account of four or five rain delays.

Dice-Hooray!

I don't know what they've been doing with Dice-K for the last two months, but it appears to have worked. Last night he pitched 6 innings of shutout ball giving up just 3 hits and -- this is the important part-- just 3 walks. For once he was around the strike zone all night. As we all know, the problem has never been his stuff (which looked nasty by the way) but his control. If he's finally learned to throw strikes consistently, look out.

Assuming we get Good Dice-K for the playoffs --a big assumption-- the Sox starting rotation looks pretty good for the playoffs. Beckett seems to have recovered from his mini-slump. Lester is a model of consistency. Buchholz continues to improve with each outing, and now we have a rejuvenated Dice-K in the mix.

The Yankees on the other hand have a lot of questions after C.C. Sabathia, who doesn't have a good post season track record anyway in spite of regular season success. Now Andy Pettitte is hurt and A.J. Burnett continues his Jekyll-and-Hyde ways. But you never know how these things will shape up and who will get hot and who will go cold.

Dice-Krap

Another five days goes by and we have another putrid performance by Daisuke Matsuzaka. He just hit the showers after a 5 inning, 6 run outing against the Braves. What a colossal waste of money he is turning out to be. There, I said it. $100 million (including the posting fee) and what has it really gotten the Red Sox? No one has really talked about this.

His career record of 34-19 is deceiving. He's got a career ERA of 4.02 and a WHIP of almost 1.400. His 18-3 record last season was largely fool's gold (I can't believe I just quoted the nasally know-it-all himself, Jason Page). He was propped up a ton by the bullpen last season and got out of a lot of seemingly inescapable jams. Living on the edge like he has is catching up with him in a major way.

I wonder how long it's going to take for Matsuzaka's contract to be on that list of worst free agent signings ever. I can see it up there along side Kevin Brown, Barry Zito, and Mike Hampton.

Matsuzaka Gets His First Win

Although he still allowed too many base runners and only went five innings, Daisuke pitched relatively well in the Sox 5-1 win over Detroit. He walked six, yet I didn't feel the angst I usually do when he pitches. His stuff looked good, and when he went after hitters he made a few look silly.

Of course the bullpen had to pick him up. They did a good job until Papelbon loaded the bases in the ninth with no outs before battling to strike out the next three batters. He got some bad luck when Magglio Ordonez hit a broken bat bloop single to lead off the inning. However, I'm growing a little weary of these 45 minute long ninth innings from Paps lately.

The Sox have been doing some interesting things with their lineup recently. They have Pedroia leading off with Ellsbury batting eighth. It helps to turn the line up over quicker. This way when you get to the eighth spot, it's like you have to start over again. Ellsbury serves a lead off role, followed by Nick Green, then your at Pedroia again, and J.D. Drew is effectively a clean up hitter. It makes the lineup very tough to pitch through. I hope Francona sticks with it for a while. I'd like to see where it goes.

Finally, congrats to Terry Francona on his 500th win as Red Sox manager.

Red Sox Wild in Latest Lost

Six wild pitches?! C'mon man. Can anyone explain to me what Diasuke is afraid of. He looks scared to pitch to contact and just nibbles the Red Sox to death. If I were Jason Varitek (who didn't catch last night), I would only call fast balls. In, out, up, down. Just locate the fast ball and pound the strike zone. Daisuke (I'm not using Dice-K anymore until he learns how to pitch) has too much going on with his pitches. Because he works on so many, none of them are spectacular and none of them are an 'out' pitch that he can go to.

This crumby performance by Matsuzaka plus the fact that Jon Lester doesn't look right is very disturbing. Josh Beckett hasn't performed great either to be honest. People keep talking about the Red Sox pitching depth, but it doesn't count if everyone is mediocre.

ALCS Rotation

The Sox have set their rotation for the ALCS, which starts tomorrow evening. They will begin with Daisuke Matsuzaka followed by Josh Beckett and Jon Lester. Presumably Francona made this decision because he wants Beckett to start a potential game seven. That's not a bad idea, I suppose, given his well known playoff track record. But in my opinion, you have to throw history out the window. Lester has been the ace this season. I think you have to set him up to go in game seven if necessary.

All three starters have good stats against the Rays. They have a combined 6-1 record and each has an ERA of 3.00 or less. Lester is 3-0 with a minuscule 0.90 ERA, another reason perhaps you would want him to start game seven. I know he's young, but he was money in the playoffs last season and pitched brilliantly in the World Series clincher.

Tim Wakefield will pitch game four. His stats against Tampa are much less impressive than the other pitchers I've mentioned; 0-2, 5.87 ERA. Wakefield has always been a streaky pitcher. He can look like a Hall of Famer then ready for retirement in back-to-back starts. Francona should have a short leash on him and have Paul Byrd ready to go if Wakefield's knuckle ball ain't dancing.