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Another Day, Another Pitcher, Another Winby Cameron on August 31 at 2:25AM | comments (0)
[ comments (0) ] [ BallHype ] It may sound cliched, but now is definitely the right time for a team to be hitting its stride. That's good news for the Red Sox. Boston bought itself more distance in the Wild Card hunt Saturday, taking a second-straight game in Sox-on-Sox action with a pitcher making his major league debut. The win didn't boot the White Sox from the AL Central lead, but it did put an extra game between the Red Sox and Chicago, should Minnesota rise up and catch the Pale Hoes down the stretch, pushing Chicago -- and not the Twins, as currently construed in the standings -- into the Wild Card chase.  It may not have come exactly the way he pictured it, but rookie Michael Bowden delivered a win in his Red Sox debut. (AP) Of course, both of these teams will hope it doesn't come to that, but the way Tampa Bay is playing right now it's hard to write the Rays out of any equation. With yet another dramatic win on Saturday, Tampa kept surging Boston from gaining any ground, but the Red Sox didn't lose any, either. That comes thanks to one constant star and one new one. Dustin Pedroia is quickly morphing into more than an everyday second baseman with an effectively choppy swing. He's already an All-Star, but he's morphing into something much more than that. After two consecutive games without recording an out, it's becoming clear that Pedroia is rapidly emerging as a legitimate MVP candidate. Add to that a winning debut from Michael Bowden, another chip prospect-cum-trade chip-cum contributor, and all the makings were there for a truly monumental turn of events. Bowden relied far too much on his fastball, and he gave up hits to a handful of White Sox, making it clear that he's still a ways from becoming the three-pitch specialist who can keep hitters off balance. His curveball and change up could both become plus pitches, but more now he was able to mix them in just enough to earn a big Boston win. Before anyone starts to think that Bowden, like Masterson, has a future in the bullpen, it has to be pointed out that the 21 year-old is nearing the 150-innings mark that the Red Sox front office earmarks as magical. It's unlikely that they'll be willing to waive that restriction for Bowden given his age, even if he could bring a lot to the table for the stretch run. That's before considering Bowden's typical pitch sequences, with a serious reliance on an explosive fastball that puts unnatural torque on his relatively undersized frame. That the Red Sox would be winning based largely on the contributions of a second-year stalwart, rookie debutante and a cast of fill-in players is an noteworthy achievement. That they'd be doing it against a fellow playoff contender and a team that, at various points during the past four years, has haunted them is more impressive still. Most importantly, that Boston fans would fully expect for players like Pedroia and Bowden to be decisive game changers is a sure signal of sea change in organizational philosophy and expectations. All of that makes a huge difference, and it may be the biggest reason of all that Boston is in good shape not only for this playoff run, but for the next few down the road. |
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