Temporary — and Permanent — Rotation Fixes, Lowell to Anaheim?

Temporary -- and Permanent -- Rotation Fixes Night after night, hit after hit, the Sox rotation is looking more like a punch-drunk boxer than a viable contender. Though Lester has reaffirmed his ace status and Buchholz has put together a nice season on the surface, there just isn’t much to lean on after those two. Lackey at least keeping the team in games with a 4.84 ERA/5.26 xFIP, Daisuke (5.77 ERA/5.48 xFIP) and Tim Wakefield (5.68 ERA/5.54 xFIP) can’t find their groove. Though we knew what we were getting into trotting Daisuke to the mound – with his salary making him that much more cumbersome and immobile – the focus shifts to Tim Wakefield.

5/30 Online Seats Game Thread: End of May Matinee

Well at least we know the Royals didn't sweep. With the month of May drawing to a close, Jon Lester will take the mound for the Boston Red Sox to face Bruce Chen in the last game of a troubling series against the Kansas City Royals.

Lars Anderson puts hype, 2009 behind him in resurgence

A pitcher could drill first baseman Lars Anderson in the ribs with a fastball.

A base runner could spike him when he tags the bag.

A clubhouse manager could grind his bats into sawdust.

But nothing aggravates the 22-year-old Anderson more than mentioning all the hype he received heading into and during the 2009 season and his stats at Portland.

Anderson split the 2008 season between Lancaster and Portland, where he combined to hit. .317 and 18 home runs, replete with 80 RBI. That prompted Baseball America to name him Boston’s No. 1 prospect.

5/29 Online Seats Game Thread: Sox Drop Two To KC

(1-5, 3.57) and (6-3, 3.07). One of those lines belong to Clay Buchholz and the other belongs to Zack Greinke... and it ain't the one you're expecting. After dropping two now to the struggling Royals, the Boston Red Sox will send Buchholz out there in a duel of the young guns.

Trying to value pitch calling

On May fourth I asked the question, Should Jason Varitek be the Starting Catcher? Not much has changed as at the time I noted "In 146 IP thrown to Martinez the staff has a K/BB of 1.64, but when Varitek has caught in 83.6 innings the staff has thrown a 2.35 K/BB." That trend has largely continued as Varitek has saw more time, so how much is the difference worth? Some things to keep in mind is that this is a skill we really can't value before the catchers catch the same pitchers. We knew Victor Martinez was not the best catcher, but how could anyone know for sure his pitch calling would raise these questions. So this is more of an exercise done in retrospect and would help decide how to approach Martinez this offseason.

This is what a straight pitch looks like

If you ever wondered what a nearly perfectly straight fastball looks like Bill Hall showed us Friday night. He threw 11 pitches and the average horizontal movement was about -2 inches, which is basically straight with about 10 inches of "rise". His location was good down in the zone and always fun to watch a position player give pitching a shot. Last year we had Nick Green throw and now Hall, but let's hope we don't see it again soon.

Fireside Chats #80: Where we are back in the high life again

I think the Red Sox have been listening to a little Steve Winwood:

We'll be back in the high life again All the doors I closed one time will open up again We'll be back in the high life again All the eyes that watched us once will smile and take us in And we'll drink and dance with one hand free And have the world so easily And oh we'll be a sight to see Back in the high life again

It's hard to believe that the team we just watched roll through the most brutal stretch of their schedule in 8-2 fashion was the same team that was swept by the Baltimore Orioles earlier this season. Paul and I break down the Red Sox run from starting pitching to great hitting from the middle of the lineup. All that and more on this episode of Fireside Chats.

5/ 28 Online Seats Game Thread: Wake Takes Mound Yet Again

In baffling fashion, the Boston Red Sox top some of the league's best on the road, and then proceed to drop a home game against the Kansas City Royals. Tim Wakefield will have to use his experience to get this new look Red Sox to take it one game at a time, as they take on Kyle Davies tonight at Fenway.

a favorable schedule and then inter-league or uneven play

Last week, I wrote…

“It should be about 2011 since the Olde Towne Team got too far behind over the last forty plus games, which has contributed to them having such a small shot at the postseason. Hence, it would be prudent to plan and act, if nothing drastic occurs, for next year at the trading deadline.”

The Red Sox winning five in a row on the road against the N.L. Champs and the A.L. East leading Rays is not “drastic.“ But it close enough for the folks on Yawkey Way to also work on a buying plan for July.

5/27 Online Seats Game Thread: Boston Homeward Bound

After completing a clean sweep of the league leading Tampa Bay Rays, the Boston Red Sox might be a bit tempted to look past the fledgling Kansas City Royals, as they head home after a lengthy road trip.