Are they coming on?
Yes, Schilling (5-7, 9 saves) gave up 4 runs over 6.1, but he looked better...AND it wasn't against KC or Tampa Bay...Again, he won't be the ace, but he showed signs of improvement.
Foulke (5-5, 15 saves) went 1.2 the other night, and has looked good since his return. I might even like to see him in a save situation...
Clement(13-3) seems to have found his form again...
Wells(12-6)...complete game.
Wake (15-10)...complete game.
The pen should be well rested now. Hopefully, Arroyo (11-9)can turn in some innings tonight. There are some decent left-handed bats in this Angel lineup in Anderson, Erstad, etc...He had a good outing last time...will it continue?
If the season ended today...what would the post-season rotation be? I think more than any other team I can recently remember, the Sox rotation will be based on their opponent and whether or not they have home field advantage...
My guess is that it looks something like this:
Wells
Clement
Wake
Schill
Let it be said that I know that Schilling hasn't been good...I am not putting that forth here...I am merely saying that he is getting better and, who knows, come playoff time he may empty the tank and be effective...
ReplyDeleteI would feel a lot better if the pen could sort itself out. they have not been giving up runs lately because they have not been pitching. And I'm not sure that they were sucking because they were tired. The Angels pen is tired (and sucking). But aside from Timlin, who in the Sox pen has really been overworked?
ReplyDeleteAnd I think Terry has left guys out there because he figures a tired Wells is better than almost any other option. And the results have been okay.
That being said, Foulke's outing was encouraging. I was pleased to see Schilling throw in the mid 90s and go deep into the game. Maybe the playoff like atmosphere this weekend will help him step it up. I hate to say it is a big test because it is still just one start, but I would be very encouraged by a strong outing this weekend.
Playoff rotation is so much up in the air because there are so many variables. Will the last three games matter. Who is our opponent. Do we open on the road or at home? Does Schilling step it up between now and then.
Two other things - three of my earlier predictions are either coming true or on their way to becoming true (I'm too lazy to go find the links).
Rivera for Cy Young - I said all it takes is a few puffed up stores in September to blow it for him. Good start last night - maybe one more this weekend and he is out of it.
This weekend series - still a damn good chance that they NY papers Friday will be screaming that the Yanks can be right back in the division with a sweep.
Lastly, the Atlanta Braves. Written off by most, I predicted them to win the East. Not simply because until someone knocks them off you can't consider them dead, but also because they have Smoltz and Huddy and always find a way to win. But even more interestingly, the playoffs COULD be great in the NL this year and ATL could really sneak through. If ATL wins the East and FLA is the WC, the matchups would be ATL versus SD and FLA vs STL. ATL could/should knock off SD and FLA could give STL fits - but the Braves have traditionall owned FLA (although this year they are only 7-5 against them). Of course I still think the Cards are the team to beat, but you never know.
Copycats:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.redsox-haters.com/
If Foulke really is back (we should know by the end of this weekend) then that takes a tremendous amount of stress off the rest of the pen...here's why...
ReplyDeleteGuys that are specialists like Bradford and Myers won't have to try to face lefties and righties. They can just be what they are...They have been trying to go full innings. They are not Timlin, Williamson, Embree types from last year...
I know that the pen hasn't necessarily been tired, but going to the pen in the 5th or 6th is not good for us...I feel way more comfortable heading there in the 7th and beyond.
Time to step it up...
With a good weekend in NY we can ALMOST sew this thing up and then really work on straightening out pitching issues the rest of the way...
I like the four game cushion going in - mentally knowing that they will leave in first place just gives me a bit of comfort. If it is 3 games going in, there is always the possibility of massacre.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, going in up 4, you really only NEED to win one of the games. As things stand now, every passing day on the calendar is our friend.
Right...Even if the Yankees take 2 of 3 they only pick up 1 game. I feel good about Wells pitching there. Schilling scares me a bit because he's been terrible against righties...and with Sheffield, A-Rod, Jeter, blah blah blah...
ReplyDeleteAlso, our lineup against some of their pitchers...not too shabby...
Yeah I mean really against Small and Chacon we should be able to win one of them. I mean sooner or later these guys are going to realize that they are Aaron Small and Shawn Chacon. And there are reasons they were available.
ReplyDeleteIts not like they are guys like Buerhle and Garcia even Contreras and Dookie - all of whom at least one strong solid season under their belt heading into this year. Okay so Contreras' really good seasons were in Cuba.
Win one of the first two and then they can relax a bit against the Unit.