He currently owns a season-best 3.48 ERA and it is largely due to the fact that he has gone 16 innings in a row without giving up a run covering his last two starts, both against Atlanta. First was the CG shutout June 20, followed up by seven scoreless innings vs. the Braves on Friday, June 26, for which he earned his ninth win. Manager Terry Francona earned the 800th of his managerial career this night as well. In all, Beckett is truly pitching like the ace he’s paid to be.
While Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia’s bats have slowed down a bit over the last week or so, David Ortiz continues to beef up his average and power numbers from deplorable to somewhat respectable levels. His BA, which stood at an embarrassing .185 on May 31, is up to .220 going into Monday night, and he now has 8 HR and 35 RBI. And when called upon during interleague play on the road, the Sox superstar DH has handled first base duties efficiently as well. He didn’t make a single error there in six games played until Sunday afternoon in Atlanta.
Whether it is indeed the eye (drops) treatment that’s making Big Papi see the ball better or something else, the man has clearly turned a corner and there’s no looking back now. Francona now has enough confidence in him that he has moved Ortiz up from the six spot in the lineup to fifth (on Sunday) and on Smoltz’s debut last Thursday, cleanup, where he hadn’t batted since 2005. His OBP for June is nearing .400 and if his overall offensive numbers keep heading northward like this, before you know it, he’ll be back in the three spot, where he belongs.
Finally, the Sox head into the week with a three-game edge over New York and with relatively little trouble to talk about. This isn’t necessarily a surprise since the Sox are one of the best if not thee best team, top to bottom in the game right now. With Daisuke Matsuzaka weeks away from making his return, the only concerns on the injury front are Jed Lowrie and now Mike Lowell, who will likely sit out the current three-game series in Baltimore with a newly sore right hip.
Article comments
1 - Tony
Watching Papplebon make that stupid little face he makes when he stares in at the catcher, and then blow the rest of that 9 run lead was priceless.
2 - ebooker
Know what else is priceless? Sox-Haters..
3 - Tony
Well thanks, I agree.