A Great Escape ... Twice

Alright, it's time to come clean: WMYM was not at all sure that the Red Sox were going to pull out their double-header sweep on Saturday.

Sure, Boston built up big leads in both legs. Sure, the got starting pitching efforts that lasted nearly a complete seven innings on both fronts. Sure, they got solid hitting early and plenty of base runners later. The unsettling thing was that Milwaukee just didn't fold.


In truth, that's what you were waiting for as a Red Sox fan. There was no reason for the Brewers to really feel like they were going to be able to mount a comeback. They fell behind early to a team that's been more dominant at home in the early season than any other, and they did it against a team that had to sit and stew about a losing streak for two days, thanks to moody rain.

Then there was the compact doubleheader, circumstances which nearly always conspire to create a split. Well, maybe not always, but that's often the case. And no sooner did WMYM tout up the advantage of having two catches split the two sides of the doubleheader than Kevin Cash puts up a stinker of a ball game, losing passed balls left and right and putting up a - rare for him in '08 - 0fer at the plate. That included a situation in the eighth when he could have taken considerable pressure off his reliever in the ninth.

Yet somehow the hits that were most important came, the relievers that were most needed came through just enough, shaky outings from David Aardsma and, worrisomely, Craig Hansen aside. And somehow, the Red Sox swept two from a team that could have been a pesky obstacle on a short homestand. The grades may not be truly reflective of that, but winning twice in a day is always impressive, and at the end of a long afternoon and evening, that actually is the most notable thing of all.

STARTING PITCHING: √-
Wakefield left the mound after allowing only one run himself, but he was responsible for two runners on, both of whom eventually crossed against David Aardsma. While that reflects as much on Aardsma as it does on Wakefield, the old knuckler had to wriggle out of a lot of jams tonight, which doesn't reflect too well on his efficiency. That's not to say that he wasn't effective; to the contrary, whenever you get seven innings (or, in this case, 6.2) out of Wakefield, that's not a bad night. It's just that with the stuff he had, it's likely that his line wouldn't have looked nearly as tidy against any team that had actually seen him before.

MIDDLE RELIEF: -
The Wakefield to Aardsma bridge has been a pretty sturdy one of late for Terry Francona, but it didn't work out that way this week. After cruising to his first out with a three pitch strikeout, the fireballer struggled to command his breaking pitches, walking the bases loaded and then giving up a key two-out hit that put Milwaukee right back in the game. Not only was it a blow to the reliever's confidence, it was a big blow to the rest of the bullpen, which clearly was hoping to get a second inning out of Aardsma.

SET-UP RELIEF: -
Oh Craig Hansen, just when we're about to slot you into a key position in the team's bullpen plans, you go out and allow an outing like tonight. In this case, Hansen was victimized by preposterously sloppy infield defense, with two errors erasing him from the fault of his runs. Still, it would have been a huge frame if he'd been able to escape  unscathed, and unfortunately he didn't. Instead, he gave up the tying and leading run after a wild pitch that easily could have been ruled a passed ball. The shaky outing isn't necessarily a disaster for the reliever, but it sets the stage for a huge outing his next time out. If he comes out of the 'pen and shuts things down quickly, all signs point to the positive. If he doesn't, all bets on his future may soon be off.

CLOSER: √+
Someone had to earn a top grade from the pitching ranks today. And isn't it nice when it happens to be a guy who's been about as loyal to Boston as possible? Unlike the skeens of drama provided the rest of the day, Mike Timlin's 1-2-3 ninth was a breath of fresh area, and a breath of relief for Jonathan Papelbon, who earned the save in Game 1. To say those three outs were a big boost for tomorrow and the rest of the home stand are an understatement.

LINEUP: √
No √+ because of all the stranded runners, but there was some general depth in hitting, despite sitting a handful of regulars. David Ortiz came through with more situational hitting, going with the pitch for a bloop single when the team needed hits instead of trying to yank out a deep shot. Mike Lowell was a monster early, and Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia proved once again that it's all but impossible to shut them down for an entire game. That, as much as anything else, is starting to come through as the identity of this team: The hitters just don't stop coming, ever. As long as Youkilis, Pedroia, Ellsbury and co. keep that approach, the Sox will probably keep contending and degending with real results.

Leave A Comment

---

---

Post a comment

Name:

Email Address:

URL:

Remember personal info?

Comments: (you may use HTML tags for style)

Please only click "Post" once. It may take a few moments to process.