Finding the key to Lackey

I've struggled this season to answer why John Lackey has been so off from anything we have seen from him previously. His Pitch F/x says he has added more cutters, but is that the only change and is it real? After some research I think I have found more of an answer and perhaps bring us closer to a solution. Let's start from the top with Lackey's career K/BB at 2.62 he stands as a very solid arm, but in 2010 he has a dismal 1.22. That comes from troubles in strikeouts and walks and little evidence in the numbers to point to one problem. I have spent plenty of time on this site trying to figure it out since he could be the hinge for the 2010 season being successful. Finally thanks to the Fangraphs.com splits I think I can get a step closer to identifying the problem. If you look at his K/9, BB/9 and K/BB in his lefty vs righty numbers there is a huge red flag. Against right handed batters this year Lackey has a stellar 3.83 K/BB with great control. Then you look at his lefty match-up and you see an amazingly bad 0.62 K/BB.

6/4 Online Seats Game Thread: Road Rage

The Boston Red Sox will hit the road once again to try to gain some ground in the AL East against the basement occupying Baltimore Orioles.

6/3 Online Seats Game Thread: Wake in Waiting for Boston

Terry Francona give the ball to the knuckler Tim Wakefield once again, as Josh Beckett still rides the pine with a prolonged back injury, as the Boston Red Sox's stare down a series sweep of the Oakland Athletics.

6/1 Online Seats Game Thread: John Kicks Off June

After a rough first month of the season, May went the Boston Red Sox's way, to say the least. John Lackey will look to carry the momentum into June, as Gio Gonzalez and the Oakland A's head to town.

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.

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.

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.