Game 20: Soup's On!

Final Score: Boston Red Sox 6, Baltimore Orioles 1

[Note to anyone out there in RSS land: yes, you just saw a whole bunch of posts pop up from the past two years at the top of your reader; I went back and retagged anything mentioning Daniel Cabrera. My apologies to Dan and all of you other wonderful subscribers.]

Did anyone else think that game was one of the weirdest pitching duels they've ever seen? On one side, we had Curt Schilling: coming off a weak outing against New York, toting a lifetime ERA over 5 at Camden Yards (although one ESPN tells me has improved in the past few years), hoping to pull the Sox out of a two game slide and needing to uphold the legacy of Baltimore butt beatings Boston has built (how do ya like that alliteration) over the past couple of years. On the other side, the Storefront Indian, out to prove that the modicum of control he's developed over his first two starts is a result of Leo Mazzone tutoring and not some cosmic fluke.

Cabrera actually pitched well for the first five innings, limiting the Sox to a smattering of hits, a walk or two and a surprise home run by Alex Cora, who's quickly establishing himself as this year's successor to the crown of The Pro (he's even got a game winning hit off of Rivera. You tell me that's not significant.) He even had some nasty, nasty movement on his two-seam fastball and kept up his end of the dramatic near-miss match up playing out on the mound by stranding runners with just enough tension to keep things interesting.

Then came the sixth inning meltdown, where Cabrera's rapidly mounting pitch count started to catch up to him and his control completely disappeared. By the seventh inning it was like seeing the Cabrera we all know and love all over again.

The rest of the game was almost textbook in its simplicity: the Sox took the Orioles bullpen for a ride on the offense train, jumping all over the three relievers and pushing the score far out of reach, Schilling, Okajima and Donnelly did their part and strains of "Dirty Water" were soon floating through the minds of Sox fans everywhere. It seems like Robin was right: after a tough case of bird flu, the best cure is to make some oriole soup.

Spot Starter

As I watched the Sox slowly break open a lead against the Storefront Indian and reliever Todd Williams yesterday, wasting enough offensive opportunities in the process to make the 2 - 1 final score seem closer than it should have been (by touchdowns), I was contemplating the continued presence of Kason Gabbard in this spring's starting rotation. First, some stats:

Over four starts this March, Gabbard's pitched ten innings, giving up five hits, three earned runs and four walks, while striking out seven. By way of comparison, he pitched twice as many innings as a starter in 2006, giving up more than four times as many hits, about twice as many earned runs, more than triple the number of walks but only striking out five more. Extrapolating his current performance to the same amount of time as he started last year, Gabbard's already doing better than last year in almost all of these categories - as a starter.

As we all know, though, the Sox have an embarrassment of starting pitchers right now, so I have a couple of theories as to why Gabbard continues to start games:

1. Tito is using Spring Training to give Gabbard some major league experience when the games don't count before sending him back to Pawtucket for the year. Kason is 24, so keeping him in AAA for another year wouldn't seem to hurt his development at all. This theory seems like the most logical to me - Jon Lester would probably do the same thing right now if he wasn't rehabbing his arm - but it's also the least amount of pure speculative fun.
   
2. The Sox are pitching Gabbard against major league hitters because they're looking to dangle him as trade bait for a closer if one of the off-season acquisitions/closer by committee doesn't work out. The closer debate continues to fascinate me, especially since DC pointed out that the Sox may be the only team in the past 6 years that won a World Series with their Opening Day closer. If this theory turns out to be more than just a conspiracy pipe dream, I don't see it coming true until the trading deadline.
3. Gabbard is pitching some of Schilling's starts against AL East teams (like Baltimore) because of Schilling's policy of never tipping his hat in Spring Training. The MASN guys were all over Schilling for that idea, by the way, but I can see Schilling's point - if you've got a few pitches based on deception, why give your opposition any more face time than necessary?

Whatever the reason, I'd say that if we see Kason Gabbard in a Boston uniform this season, we're probably looking at a second coming of 2006.

The Fielding Bible: Sex Panther

"'They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time, it works every time.'
'That doesn't make sense.'"

So, if I recall correctly, the part of the New Philosophy of Developing the Farm and Ditching Big Contracts that the Sox implemented this winter was acquiring a group of players who could reverse the trend of terrible infield defense from the past two years and create a playing environment where Boston would stop losing games because someone let a ball drop or slip through the infield, even if it meant losing some batting power in the process. Well, as it turns out, it could all be for nothing, or so says a new book by John Dewan, who runs the company that tracks the location of every pitch and ball put in play and sells it to twelve teams including, you guessed it, the Red Sox.

The book, called “The Fielding Bible,” purports to solve a problem that’s bugged stat-heads for years: how do you effectively measure a player’s defensive capabilities? Up until now, no one had come up with a system that separated the player’s actions from the vagaries of the field, the type of pitch the pitcher used, etc. to come up with a rating that reflected the player’s abilities alone. According to the scoring system “The Fielding Bible” touts, the team this year has a defensive rating inferior to that of the 2006 team. Yes, that’s right, the team that has the capability to field Gold Glove winners at every infield position except pitcher is markedly inferior to the team that featured Edgar “Most Errors in the Majors” Renteria. Confused? So was I.

I won’t go into the details of the points the scoring system uses, as the Globe’s article does a good job of explaining how it works, but it has some serious flaws – it doesn’t take into account ability to handle throws (one of J.T. Snow’s specialties), turn double plays (something Mark Loretta does well) or charge bunts (where Mike Lowell is the league’s best). It also doesn’t take into account outfield assists either, so Manny Ramirez gets no love. In other words, the guys Theo & Co. picked up over the off-season do actually know what they’re doing and there’s no need to panic quite yet.

That said, it still sounds like “The Fielding Bible” might be worth the read. For example, it shows that Renteria was actually a decent fielder last year…as long as the ball wasn’t hit directly at him (remember all of those slow rollers he couldn’t handle?), that Bill Mueller was an above average third baseman and that Trot Nixon was the best right fielder in the big leagues (see, I knew the human highlight reel was a good nickname). And hey, if nothing else, this new defensive system is a step in the right direction…just as long as teams (and fans) don’t use it the wrong way.

Tonight: Matt Clement, no longer sporting the chin growth of yesteryear, goes up against Daniel Cabrera, on seasonal leave as the Cigar Store Indian to pitch for the Orioles, at 7:05. GO SOX!!!

Acta and Tito

From San Juan to San Diego, it's all good

The WBC continues to impress: Venezuela and the Dominican Republic battling to avoid elimination and secure a spot in the semi-finals at the same time. Oddly enough, even though critics simultaneously tout the DR for their magnificent run potential and claim that their pitching is not up to par, it was pitching that stepped up tonight when Venezuela’s Freddy Garcia shut down the DR bats. Dominican Daniel Cabrera (best known for his death stare game face) did Garcia one better, shutting down Venezuela with his nasty sinking strikeout pitch, striking out a WBC tied-record of seven – and being fortunate enough to not have a player who’s in transition from left-field to third-base (Miguel Cabrera) at the hot corner.

Run number one came with the bases loaded in the first after Cabrera dropped a rolling grounder. The Venezuelans tied it up with a walk, a double and a groundball off of otherwise stellar young Minnesota starter Francisco Liriano in the sixth and with the way the pitching duel progressed, extra innings seemed likely…until the Dominicans managed to load the bases for the second time in the seventh inning and squeeze in a run when catcher Ramon Hernandez allowed a Kelvin Escobar pitch to hit off his glove and escape to the backstop. Even then, the game wasn’t over – DR reliever Duaner Sanchez managed to get two outs in the ninth, then loaded the bases in a tension-fraught finish where Sanchez seemed to have lost the outside edge of the plate. Finally, a pop fly to right field and the game ended.

Once again, the appeal of these games is how every contest is like a playoff game or the World Series. Every game matters and with national pride at stake, the players, especially the ones from underdog countries, play like these are the most important games of their lives. The internationalization of baseball is a very cool thing.

Meanwhile, on Yawkey Way they extended Tito’s contract until 2008. Makes sense, as far as I can tell – the upper management is still in place, the goal is still to win in new and innovative ways, so why remove a fairly popular and compliant manager? We’ll continue to question some of his decisions, debate his player management tactics and with any luck, wonder how he gets so lucky at the end of the season.

Game 83: All Star

Final Score:

Boston Red Sox 7, Texas Rangers 4

Kenny Rogers? Kenny Rogers can eat it. We all know who the All Star pitcher was in Arlington last night. With eight and two-thirds innings, nine hits, four runs, nine strikeouts and no walks, Matt Clement gave the Sox their second clutch start in a row, saving the bullpen from another night of heavy lifting: Alan Embree made a three pitch effort to get the final out and the save in the ninth.

On the offensive side, Big Papi hit his 21st homerun and a two run single, Millar hit an RBI single, Varitek hit an infield RBI single and Johnny Damon extended his hitting streak to a majors-leading 22 games. The Sox managed to break Chan Ho Park, who held them scoreless through five innings, leave Texas with the series win and pick up half a game on Baltimore, who did not play last night.

Keith Foulke is officially on the 15 day DL as of yesterday and will be out four to six weeks for arthroscopic surgery on his knees. In his absence, the Sox have called up 29 year old Scott Cassidy, who has a 1.15 ERA in sixteen relief appearances. Overall, Cassidy, who is more effective against right handers, had a six and three record and a 3.81 ERA in Pawtucket. With Schilling being set up to close, first in Pawtucket (tonight) and then in Boston, it sounds like Cassidy is up to replace Matt Mantei. There is no official word yet on what correctional option Mantei will take on his ankle, but it's possible the reliever could be out for the rest of the season.

Meanwhile, the Boston sports media and the Red Sox blogosphere are abuzz with the idea of Schilling closing out games. Terry Francona has specifically come out and said that the solution is not a permanent one, so it doesn't sound, at the moment at least, like Schilling will be the next Dennis Eckersley, making the permanent switch from starter to closer. The Sox are certainly in the market for at least a temporary replacement - "Every day" Eddie Guardado was a possible option, but according to the Globe:

Multiple news outlets reported Thursday morning that Guardado has a limited no-trade clause (apparently, the Red Sox are one of 10 teams on his trade veto list) and would have to sign off on any deal. And considering many of Guardado's contract incentives are tied to closer-type statistics, it can be assumed he would likely veto any deal to Boston. "It's strictly a business decision," Guardado's agent, Kevin Kohler, told the Boston Herald yesterday. "It's nothing against the Boston franchise or their fans."

A statement like that not only makes it sound like Guardado will not be the fix for the Sox closer problems, but also suggests that Boston is still relying on Keith Foulke to come back and be his old self. Although there is a suggestion that the psychological pressure of performing in Boston may have finally gotten to Foulke, I still think the problem is more physical - otherwise, why continue to pitch through the knee pain, or continue to ask for the ball?

In other news, players don't like finding things out about their team from the media. Both Johnny Damon and Tim Wakefield expressed disappointment with the idea of Schilling as closer. Damon was especially vocal, citing Schilling's age and concequent inability to warm up quickly as reasons why he should not close out ballgames. Damon prefers Timlin or Arroyo as options for closer; Wakefield is more worried that losing a starter to the bullpen could spell trouble for the Sox rotation later on.

In the meantime, the closer by committee approach continues, as there is no timetable for Schilling's return from AAA. Hopefully the Sox starters are entering another hot stretch when the bullpen won't have to be used as often and the Sox can pull through to the All Star Break reasonably intact.

The Golden Buddha takes the ball tonight against Daniel Cabrera in the first of a four game set in Baltimore, the last four games before the All Star Break. With the Orioles in the midst of a three game slide and a record of three and twelve in their last fifteen games, this series could help push Boston on top of the AL East by a considerable margin. The Yankees, who are lurking just below second place, are playing Cleveland in four games, while Toronto, in fourth at 5.5 games back, is finishing up tonight versus Oakland before playing Texas for three games. GO SOX!!!

Technorati tags: red sox | curt schilling | johnny damon | keith foulke | matt clement

Game 51: Outwit, Outlast, Outplay

Final Score:

Boston Red Sox 5, Baltimore Orioles 1

Wade Miller and the Red Sox played a bit of Survivor last night with Daniel Cabrera and the Orioles, or at least that's what it felt like, watching on ESPN. Every inning, until about the fifth, when it was clear Miller was going to have a normal length outting, Rick Sutcliffe had to make some comment about Miller's shoulder falling off, especially after Miller gave up a run in the third. Meanwhile, the Sox couldn't hit wonderboy Daniel Cabrera with his Big Unit-style height, power fastball and nasty sinker...until wonderboy fell apart in the fifth, much as I expected he would. It was really a matter of catching up with that 97 mph fastball and all the sudden, it might have been last year, when the Sox beat up on Cabrera twice, scoring eleven runs on twelve hits in two starts/six innings. Clearly, the guy's got talent and with control he really could be the next Randy Johnson, but not at age 24.

Oddly enough, the problem wasn't stranding runners for once (seven LOB); it was getting hits. It took until the fourth inning until Mark Bellhorn broke up the no-hitter with a single; before then, the only baserunners Boston had were from walks and an error on the pitcher. With Bellhorn on first and Mueller, who had walked, on second, John Olerud smacked an RBI double. Renteria hit an RBI single, Big Papi added his own RBI single and Trot Nixon hit an RBI fielder's choice off the pitcher. The Sox picked up another run in the seventh to make it and hold it at 5 - 1. Nixon also made a great sliding catch in the fifth to prevent a single (or a double if he had missed it entirely). Yeah, he's the Man.

Meanwhile, Miller's only problem inning came when Jay Gibbons hit a triple to start the third...and that was under special circumstances. Johnny Damon, tracking the ball all the way back into the triangle, missed the catch by feet but plowed into the fence, hitting his right wrist and then his head. He played out the rest of the inning as Gibbons scored on a double by catcher Sal Fasano, but came out afterwards to have his head examined.* He was listed as day to day and said last night he wants to be back in the lineup tonight. Meanwhile, Miller, "bad shoulder" and all, went on to get out of the inning without further disaster and shut down Baltimore for the rest of the night. Heck, besides those two hits, the only other time he was in danger was in the first, when he gave up a homerun distance fly ball from Sammy Sosa that was knocked down by the wind and caught as it was sailing into the wall in center.** The amusing thing was that Sosa was so sure he had just hit another long bomb that he did his homerun hop...only to discover that he had been robbed. Miller made it into the seventh in what he described as his best outting of the year and was relieved by Timlin and Myers, who were perfect to close out the game. Sox are now in sole possession of second place, three back from Baltimore.

Tonight, Sidney "Pontoon" Ponson against Wakefield. ESPN decided to point out last night that every starter the Orioles have comes from a different country, creating some sort of pretty rainbow of multi-cultural starterdom. I think I prefer black and blue, as in the colors the Sox offense will make that rainbow when they shell those pitchers. GO SOX!!!

* Yes, I'm punning off his being the chief Idiot. I'm so damned clever!
** Yes, center field was a popular spot for Orioles hitting in the early innings.

Games 49 and 50: Boomerville and the Return of the Lopez

Final Scores:

Game 49: Boston Red Sox 7, New York Yankees 2
Game 50: Boston Red Sox 1, Baltimore Orioles 8

Good recaps of both games at Joy of Sox and Surviving Grady. I was in exhausted transit back from Massachusetts yesterday, but clearly I didn't miss anything enjoyable; any time the namesake of the Rodrigo Lopez Club pitches up to his reputation isn't a good day for Red Sox bats. Poor Bronson Arroyo, on the other hand, seems to have lost his pitching groove. Seven runs in two and two-thirds innings? Ouch. I have confidence he'll get back on track shortly though.

Sunday, on the other hand, was like confidence run in full swing. 8:05 game time, with a TV and NESN indoors while the party was outside. Robin, myself and a few others came in at around 8:20 to find Edgah on base and Big Papi at the plate. Mussina throws a low, inside pitch that Ortiz crushes...just foul. 'He's not gonna throw that again,' I think and then watch as Moose does, in fact, throw another inside fastball, which Papi obligingly smashes into the third deck in right field. 2 - 0, Red Sox. I go back outside.

Boomer comes out and promptly gives up solo homeruns to Jeter and Sheffield. The news is reported to those of us outside, much to the dismay of Red Sox fans; I start yelling incoherent things about Donut and Robin begins to worry he'll have to go into baseball isolation.* Wells gives up single to A-Rod...then gets Posada to end the inning in a double play and doesn't look back, becoming pretty much the unhittable beast he should be on regular occasions. Mussina, meanwhile, is struggling and the Sox knock him out in the third after he's given up five runs. All is jubilation out in the yard.

An interesting tidbit that occured before Sunday's start: Edgar Renteria gave David Wells a check (supposedly in the range of five figures) to switch uniform numbers. Boomer is now number 16 and Edgah number three. The two switched in the hopes of improving respective performance (i.e., superstition) and clearly it worked, at least for that night: Wells won his game and Renteria extended his hot streak by going four for five. The odd thing, of course, is that Renteria was wearing number three (Babe Ruth's number on the Yankees) when he hit the final out of the World Series last year...a number that Wells grabbed when he came to the Red Sox because he idolizes the Babe. Numbers are fun.

Golden boy Wade Miller goes up against Daniel Cabrera tonight in game two of the three game series against Baltimore. This series is pretty important for obvious reasons; winning the next two games could help break the Orioles' hold on the AL East, or at least weaken it. Last night's game was Baltimore's first win after losing three straight to Detroit, so there's hope yet for the Sox to take the series. Besides, they're at Fenway (and will be for an incredible two straight series!) and have already faced Lopez...Danield Cabrera who? GO SOX!!!

* - Before the Yankees series, Robin told me that if the Sox did not take two out of three in New York, he was going to stop talking about baseball all together for some open-ended period. I'm not sure how long his will would have lasted, but I suppose it's better for all humanity (or at least the humanity who read this blog) that he didn't - where would we be without the examples of his sparkling wit to top my posts?