Whoever coined the phrase, ?You can never have too much pitching,? obviously didn?t have much.
And the Red Sox certainly know what he was talking about.
They?re rounding the turn and heading down the stretch of the pennant race with more questions than answers in their starting rotation. One of their best young arms, rookie Clay Buchholz, has imploded. Two of their most trusted veterans, Josh Beckett and Tim Wakefield, are question marks physically. A veteran acquisition, Bartolo Colon, is still working his way into shape. Even their biggest winner, Daisuke Matsuzaka, is so erratic as to be almost unreliable, at least in terms of how many innings he?ll pitch in a start.
That leaves a rotation with one constant ? Jon Lester, who has become the ace of the staff and looks to be getting stronger as the season progresses ? and many uncertainties.
Manager Terry Francona is looking at the problem in the short term, rather than focusing on the big picture.
?Well, we [had yesterday] off and we have Monday off,? Francona said after Wednesday night?s 11-6 loss in Baltimore, meaning he?ll be able to juggle the rotation so everyone?s pitching on proper rest and they won?t miss a beat if someone has to miss a start.
But there is a bigger question: Can they depend on the people they put out there?
That may hold the key to the rest of the season.
They?ll need Beckett to regain some semblance of normalcy. He?s scheduled to throw here today in preparation for his next start, on Tuesday in New York, but with the numbness in his fingers still a concern, there are no guarantees he?ll be ready.
?We?re not going to pitch him until he?s symptom-free,? Francona said. ?We?re just a little bit hesitant to let a guy pitch and then put him at risk. We don?t want to do that, so if there are some symptoms, [we?ll hold] him back.?
They?ll need Wakefield to be fully recovered from the shoulder problem that landed him on the disabled list a few weeks ago. He says he?s healthy and set to go: ?Everything?s fine. If they need me in New York, I?ll be ready.? But is he?
They?ll need Colon to speed up his slow-as-molasses recovery from the lower back strain he suffered in Philadelphia more than two months ago and provide some help down the stretch . . . which made last night?s rehab start in Pawtucket so important.
?We?re not looking for him to throw 90 pitches, but we?re also not looking for him to throw one [inning] and throw up in the dugout again,? Francona said prior to last night.
They?ll need a stabilizer. That might come in the person of veteran Paul Byrd, acquired last week from the Cleveland Indians.
?Byrd could be a key in keeping things together until the situation settles down.
?Since we?re banged up a little bit right now, we need Byrd right now,? said first baseman Sean Casey. ?He pitched well his first time out. He works fast and he throws strikes, so we?re going to be counting on him down the stretch.?
When Byrd pitches at the Rogers Centre tonight, it will be the third straight time he?s faced the Blue Jays. In his last start as a member of the Indians he tossed a complete game, and then he made his Red Sox debut against Toronto and suffered a loss ? four runs in 7 1/3 innings ? when he was outpitched by Roy Halladay. Tonight, Byrd expects to have the advantage.
?If I make the pitches, I think it?s to my advantage,? he said. ?When you get to face hitters over and over you get to know what they?re doing. With that being said, they get to know you a little better, too. If I make the pitches, it?ll be to my advantage. If I miss, I?ll be in trouble because they are pretty familiar with everything I?ve got.?
When Byrd was acquired, it was thought he?d be replacing Buchholz in the rotation. The injuries to Wakefield and Beckett stalled that move, but Buchholz?s shelling Wednesday night forced the Sox? hand, and they sent him to Double-A Portland.
?It?s a tough situation,? said Francona. ?We?re in the middle of a pennant race and we?re in Boston. There?s a lot of focus on him and he feels a responsibility. I?m proud of the way he?s acted. It was just pretty obvious we needed to do something.?
What it also means is that more of a burden is falling on the bullpen. And the relievers understand that.
?We?ve got a lot leaning on our shoulders right now,? said closer Jonathan Papelbon. ?If we?re going to be a successful playoff team, it will depend on how good our bullpen is because it?s not how you start games, it?s how you finish games. Our entire bullpen staff is ready for the challenges that await us.?
And the Red Sox certainly know what he was talking about.
They?re rounding the turn and heading down the stretch of the pennant race with more questions than answers in their starting rotation. One of their best young arms, rookie Clay Buchholz, has imploded. Two of their most trusted veterans, Josh Beckett and Tim Wakefield, are question marks physically. A veteran acquisition, Bartolo Colon, is still working his way into shape. Even their biggest winner, Daisuke Matsuzaka, is so erratic as to be almost unreliable, at least in terms of how many innings he?ll pitch in a start.
That leaves a rotation with one constant ? Jon Lester, who has become the ace of the staff and looks to be getting stronger as the season progresses ? and many uncertainties.
Manager Terry Francona is looking at the problem in the short term, rather than focusing on the big picture.
?Well, we [had yesterday] off and we have Monday off,? Francona said after Wednesday night?s 11-6 loss in Baltimore, meaning he?ll be able to juggle the rotation so everyone?s pitching on proper rest and they won?t miss a beat if someone has to miss a start.
But there is a bigger question: Can they depend on the people they put out there?
That may hold the key to the rest of the season.
They?ll need Beckett to regain some semblance of normalcy. He?s scheduled to throw here today in preparation for his next start, on Tuesday in New York, but with the numbness in his fingers still a concern, there are no guarantees he?ll be ready.
?We?re not going to pitch him until he?s symptom-free,? Francona said. ?We?re just a little bit hesitant to let a guy pitch and then put him at risk. We don?t want to do that, so if there are some symptoms, [we?ll hold] him back.?
They?ll need Wakefield to be fully recovered from the shoulder problem that landed him on the disabled list a few weeks ago. He says he?s healthy and set to go: ?Everything?s fine. If they need me in New York, I?ll be ready.? But is he?
They?ll need Colon to speed up his slow-as-molasses recovery from the lower back strain he suffered in Philadelphia more than two months ago and provide some help down the stretch . . . which made last night?s rehab start in Pawtucket so important.
?We?re not looking for him to throw 90 pitches, but we?re also not looking for him to throw one [inning] and throw up in the dugout again,? Francona said prior to last night.
They?ll need a stabilizer. That might come in the person of veteran Paul Byrd, acquired last week from the Cleveland Indians.
?Byrd could be a key in keeping things together until the situation settles down.
?Since we?re banged up a little bit right now, we need Byrd right now,? said first baseman Sean Casey. ?He pitched well his first time out. He works fast and he throws strikes, so we?re going to be counting on him down the stretch.?
When Byrd pitches at the Rogers Centre tonight, it will be the third straight time he?s faced the Blue Jays. In his last start as a member of the Indians he tossed a complete game, and then he made his Red Sox debut against Toronto and suffered a loss ? four runs in 7 1/3 innings ? when he was outpitched by Roy Halladay. Tonight, Byrd expects to have the advantage.
?If I make the pitches, I think it?s to my advantage,? he said. ?When you get to face hitters over and over you get to know what they?re doing. With that being said, they get to know you a little better, too. If I make the pitches, it?ll be to my advantage. If I miss, I?ll be in trouble because they are pretty familiar with everything I?ve got.?
When Byrd was acquired, it was thought he?d be replacing Buchholz in the rotation. The injuries to Wakefield and Beckett stalled that move, but Buchholz?s shelling Wednesday night forced the Sox? hand, and they sent him to Double-A Portland.
?It?s a tough situation,? said Francona. ?We?re in the middle of a pennant race and we?re in Boston. There?s a lot of focus on him and he feels a responsibility. I?m proud of the way he?s acted. It was just pretty obvious we needed to do something.?
What it also means is that more of a burden is falling on the bullpen. And the relievers understand that.
?We?ve got a lot leaning on our shoulders right now,? said closer Jonathan Papelbon. ?If we?re going to be a successful playoff team, it will depend on how good our bullpen is because it?s not how you start games, it?s how you finish games. Our entire bullpen staff is ready for the challenges that await us.?
