Archive for the ‘Jon Lester’ Category:
With trucks heading to Florida yesterday it’s a good time to look at the questions for what the Red Sox hope will happen in 2010. With breakouts and new levels of performance there is always the possibility of regression. That can also include getting better as you return to the mean. What are the top ten possible regressions for 2010?
10. Can Manny Delcarmen find the plate – While Manny never had great control there was an alarming rate of walks in 2009. He walked 5.13 batters every nine innings or more than a batter every two innings. We found the signs of arm problems here and I think that with health he should be better, but a better walk rate is required for him to be a solid contributor.
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Jon Lester, entering his age 26 season, is a prime candidate to be named a starting pitcher of the 2010-19 Team of the Decade, which would mean he was named to back-to-back Team of Decades.
Drafted in the second round of the 2002 draft, Lester methodically rose up the minor leagues (Fire Brand archive: Not so Minor: Players on the Rise, 10/10/04) and prospect rankings, going so far as to be included in the A-Rod megatrade that never was prior to the 2004 season. I speak, of course, of Manny Ramirez and Lester heading to Texas for Alex Rodriguez.
With respect to Lester, I think all of us feel we dodged a bullet there.
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As often happens when the Red Sox venture out West for a playoff series (as often happens), there’s no more painful post to write than the one scheduled to hit the wires the morning following a late night start like we had in Game One of the ALDS – except of course the post following a game that saw the Red Sox hit their side of the Win Probability ledger only for one fleeting at bat the night prior.
That chart pretty well sums up the Red Sox offense all night against Angels starter John Lackey; flatline.
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With the opening pitch set for 9:37 pm, Eastern Standard Time, the Sox and Angels get ready to kick off their leg of the American League playoffs. The short-series ALDS will rely heavily on the opening game, as a 1-0 lead in a Best of 5 is better than finding money. With Beckett going up against Jered Weaver in Game Two, an opening win by Boston would put quite a damper on Anaheim’s plans.
The first game features a battle of staff leaders. Sox Ace Jon Lester goes up against Angels’ number one John Lackey. Lester and the Sox have the definite edge in this one, as Lester has turned himself into an early Cy Young candidate for 2010, while Lackey has seen the erosion of his skills to a certain extent.
Jon Lester
The consummate field general, Angels Manager Mike Scioscia was likely up late last night game planning for the openeras his lineup is a very interesting match for Lester.
With the option to bat as many as eight players right-handed (Anaheim has four switch hitters: Izturis, Morales, Aybar, and Figgins), Lester’s prominent reverse-platoon splits may give Scioscia pause when instructing his batters to hit right-handed. Lester’s pronounced splits have actually given the edge to left-handers this season, as they went a combined .257/.305/.411 against the ace, while righties compiled a .237/.299/.350 clip.
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The Red Sox are set to do battle with the Angels later this week to decide who gets to play for the American League pennant. Boston and Los Angeles are certainly familiar with each other, having done battle in the 2004, ‘07 and ‘08 DCS. In fact, Boston went 9-1 in those games and the Angels’ futility extends all the way bac to 1986 and Donnie Moore.
Do the Angels have a chance to put their Boston voodoo behind them or will the Sawx manhandle L.A. all the way towards what seems to be an inevitable date with the Evil Empire?
Read on to see pitching breakdowns, a look at the offense and defense, musings on hometown advantages, and the official prediction.
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The Red Sox were ready to snap a six-game losing streak at all costs. Unfortunately, it had to come at the cost of Indians rookie starter Carlos Carrassco, who took a Jacoby Ellsbury line drive off the knee cap on the way to a 3-0 loss.
Jon Lester, who suffered an almost identical injury less than a week ago, looked like his old self, throwing a veritable gem for his fifteenth victory of the season, while the bats played small ball to get themselves out of the slump.
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GAME NOTES: You could make the case Cleveland is worse than Toronto and Kansas City. Let’s hope so… so we can finally win a freaking game. Jon Lester takes the mound in a big tune-up game for him.
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Friday was a night where the Red Sox had a great chance to send their division rivals a message. Instead, they stumbled from the get-go, falling behind 5-0 before they broke the shutout (and no-hitter) in the fourth.
The game was shaky from the beginning, as the Sox were retired in order in the first.
Lester looked sharp for the first two innings; particularly in the first when Mark Teixeira chased an outside pitch for a strikeout. Still, the Yanks were able to plate a run on a stolen base and two singles.
The game was quiet through the second inning but, it was all down hill from there.
The Yankees were able to tack on four runs in the third, an inning that also saw Lester leave the game after a Melky Cabrera liner caught him in the leg.
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GAME NOTES: Jon Lester, the probable ace in October, duels against Joba Chamberlain who is fighting for his rotation spot (versus Chad Gaudin).
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