Thursday, June 18, 2009

Arm Me With Harmony

Games 64 & 65 - Red Sox

Red Sox 8, Marlins 2
Red Sox 6, Marlins 1
Record: 40-25

I suppose it's a telltale sign that things in Soxland are heading in a positive direction when the biggest gripe I can muster is about Terry Francona using 5 pitchers in a 6-1 win. Or about Jacoby Ellsbury committing the first error of his career to lead to the Marlins' only run. Or, I guess, about the fact that the Sox will soon be testing the old adage about too much pitching.

After much hue and cry about the Sox' rotation over the first two months of the season, the starters have turned in an 8-3 3.25 mark over June's first 2 1/2 weeks, with a 1.19 WHIP and 83 Ks in 85 2/3 innings. (All the better if you remove Daisuke Matsuzaka's 6.14 ERA and 1.84 WHIP.) Monday brought news that John Smoltz will be making his Red Sox debut a week from today against the Nationals (coincidentally, MLC correspondents will be in attendance). Meanwhile, Clay Buchholz is dominating the International League to the tune of 5-0, 1.90 with a 0.83 WHIP.

You think we could convince Matsuzaka to pull a Rodney Dangerfield, "Oh! My arm!"?