The long spring is over and we have regular season baseball. We have a chance to get our first true Major League glimpse of young prospects Jose Iglesias and Jackie Bradley Jr. We get a newfound hope that John Lackey, Jon Lester, and Clay Buchholz will turn their careers around and help this team make a surprise appearance in the playoffs. And we can believe that acquisitions like Jonny Gomes and Shane Victorino will help promote a positive clubhouse environment that, perhaps, will translate into more victories. Thus, after four games of great baseball from the Boston Red Sox let’s take a look at who impressed and who was less than inspiring.
Clay Buchholz (Kelly O’Conner — www.sittingstill.net)
3 Up:
Red Sox Bullpen: Red Sox fans heard all season long about how great the Boston bullpen could potentially be, and the results were great with the exception of a minor hiccup from everyone’s best friend Alfredo Aceves (whose clock towards becoming a free agent should be in full swing by now). While Tazawa and Bailey were a bit shaky last night in Toronto, they have been solid prior to those appearances. The Red Sox have three more than reliable set up men in Bailey, Uehara, and Tazawa, and a closer in Hanrahan that looks better than advertised (except let’s try and not get ourselves into 3-0 counts right off the bat).
Clay Buchholz: Buchholz’s 7 inning, one run performance was just what the doctor ordered for Buchholz and the Red Sox fan base. Buchholz has been readily regarded as one of the keys to the Red Sox 2013 season. The Red Sox will go as Lester and Buchholz go, and as long as they are producing quality starts the Red Sox will find themselves in playoff contention when August rolls around.
Jose Iglesias: Could anyone have scripted a better start for the young shortstop? At the moment, Iglesias is hitting .583 while playing outstanding defense. While he will not hit for power, Iglesias has shown comfort, patience, and an ability to consistently put the ball in play (and his ability to bunt for a hit can’t go understated). Now we can only hope that his arm injury is not too serious. John Farrell will have a tough decision to make regarding his everyday shortstop with the return of Stephen Drew on the horizon. However, if Iglesias keeps up this production, the decision should not be a difficult one.
Honorable Mention: Shane Victorino – A phenomenal start for a guy that had been criticized for his lack of ability to hit right handed pitching prior to even taking his first at bat in a Red Sox uniform. It is interesting to note how Farrell drops Victorino in the lineup when facing a RHP and hits him 2nd with a LHP on the mound.
3 Down:
Mike Napoli (Kelly O’Conner — www.sittingstill.net)
Mike Napoli: Aside from Napoli’s important and game changing home run last night in Toronto he has not looked very good at the plate for the Sox. In Napoli’s 19 plate appearances he has failed to manipulate a walk, has struck out 6 times, and is hitting .158. While this is a small sample size, the lack of walks is notable; especially for a cleanup hitter. Napoli will need to be much more productive in order for the Red Sox to continue to win games without David Ortiz in the middle of the lineup.
Will Middlebrooks: Like Napoli, Middlebrooks hit a big home run last night (a screaming line drive that got out of play in a hurry). However, prior to his two hit night in the finale in New York and then the opener in Toronto, Middlebrooks was 0-8 with 4 K’s. Again, a small sample size, but Red Sox fans should be prepared for a heavy amount of strikeouts from Middlebrooks. Combine that with the high strikeout rate of Napoli and Salty, and the Sox have the makings of a team that will strike out a lot. Let’s hope that this does not become a pattern with runners in scoring position (yes, I’m thinking about you Salty).
Ryan Dempster: Dempster’s first appearance in a Red Sox uniform was inconsistent and mediocre. Although he struck out 8 Yankees, Dempster’s control was spotty for the duration of his 5-inning outing in which he threw only 58 strikes in 101 pitches, walked 4 hitters, and surrendered 5 hits. The Red Sox will need Dempster to rebound and be the innings eating, consistent starter that he was in Chicago for the Sox to be successful in the AL East.
All in all it was a great first 4 games for the Boston Red Sox. Don’t screw it up, Lackey!