Jon Lester Records the Best April of His Career
Jon Lester has developed into one of the most dominant left-handed starters in baseball.
He’s accomplished a great deal both on and off the field in his brief career, but it took the lefty six seasons to conquer the month of April.
Lester entered the 2011 season just 3-5 with a 4.58 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP (his worst in any month) in 16 career April starts.
On Opening Day against the Rangers, he allowed five earned runs without recording a single strikeout. It was his first start without a K since April 9th, 2008.
Since that discouraging outing, Lester has posted five straight quality starts and finishes with easily the best opening month of his career. (more…)
Josh Beckett Threatens Retaliation for Luke Scott’s Bat Flip?
“Those things have a way of working themselves out.”
That was Josh Beckett’s post-game reaction to Luke Scott’s bat-flip after his colossal home run off the righty on Wednesday night in Baltimore.
Was it just a figure of speech or a legitimate threat for retaliation?
Scott drilled a two-run shot roughly 425 feet onto Eutaw Street at Camden Yards in the fourth inning, and Beckett was clearly angered by the way he paused to admire the lengthy blast.
Beckett glared at Scott repeatedly as he rounded the bases and continued the stare down after Scott had reached the Orioles dugout.
There was no immediate response from Beckett in Scott’s next at-bat, but that doesn’t mean that this altercation has been totally put to bed. (more…)
Daniel Bard Continues to Crumble in Key Situations
Daniel Bard was the only constant in the Red Sox bullpen last year.
The Sox added relief arms in the off-season with the hope that Bard wouldn’t have to carry that unit again. Instead, he has regressed significantly in the first month of the year.
The hard-throwing righty is now 0-3 on the season after blowing another game in a 5-4 loss to the Orioles on Wednesday night in Baltimore.
Bard allowed three hits and one unearned run (the eventual game-winner) in the eighth inning as the Sox dropped their second straight to the struggling O’s.
He was hurt by a passed ball from Jason Varitek but couldn’t retire Vladimir Guerrero with the game on the line, and his discouraging win-loss record doesn’t lie. (more…)
When Will Adrian Gonzalez Start Hitting For Power?
There are four days left in April, and Adrian Gonzalez has one home run.
Historically, April has been the slugger’s second best month for power with 32 career home runs. The only other month in which he’s smacked more is May with 33.
Last year in San Diego, Gonzalez hit six home runs in April and slugged over .560. This year, that number is down to just .416 and his only homer came exactly three weeks ago in Cleveland.
Gonzalez is certainly not slumping. He’s hitting .281 with 12 RBI in his first 22 games with the Red Sox, but his home run production has yet to develop.
The lefty has hit at least 30 home runs in each of the last four seasons (including 40 in 2009), and Red Sox Nation is starting to wonder where that power has gone. (more…)
Do the Red Sox Really Struggle Against Left-Handed Pitching?
At times this season, it seems as though the Red Sox are matching up against a left-handed starter every single night.
That obviously hasn’t been the case, but if it feels like the Sox have faced a ton of lefties, it’s because they have.
Boston already has 296 total at-bats against southpaws in 2011, second only to the Seattle Mariners (343) in the American League.
Terry Francona’s club is hitting just .243 as a team against left-handed pitching (10th out of 14 teams in the AL) and has posted a league-high 67 strikeouts in those matchups.
But if you plan on blaming the team’s rocky offensive start on its struggles against lefties, think again. The Sox are batting 10 points lower (.233) in nearly 450 at-bats when facing right-handers. (more…)
Loading ...
