April 6th Red Sox

It was a game for the critics. I miss Papelbon already. Where is Daniel Bard when you need him? These are the things Bobby V didn’t want to have to deal with one game into the season. This is not the start the Red Sox needed. To expect a win against Verlander in a packed Comerica Park is wrong, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a tough loss. The Sox battled back putting two runs on the board against arguably the best closer in baseball last season. Valverde went 49 for 49 in save opportunities last season, but the Sox dealt him a blown save yesterday. These are the kind of games that boost a team’s morale, especially early in the season like this.

They’re were still some positives that came from this game. Jon Lester pitched seven innings of just one run ball and looked very strong in doing so. The Sox are going to need more of the same out of him. Newly acquired outfielder Ryan Sweeney came through for the Sox when they needed him with two outs down one run and a man on second. The Sox have always been a clutch hitting team late in ball games and it is nice to see them start out battling back already. To no one’s surprise it was Dustin Pedroia who got it all started, legging out a double after one of his ten pitch at-bats. The Sox ran into the best pitcher in baseball and had a chance to push it to extras, that’s all anyone was really asking for going into the game. 

Now let’s talk about the negatives in the game. The Sox were down just one run in the eighth after Lester left the game, but the bullpen allowed a huge insurance run in the bottom of the eighth to make it 2-0. The Sox managed to pull out two runs of their own in the top half of the ninth to tie up the ball game. This would have been enough to put the Sox in front had the bullpen done its job. Then Bobby V brings Melancon who was supposed to be a potential closer and he gives up two bloop singles. He decides to bring Aceves in with one out and men on first and second. I don’t agree with the decision because I think you let Melancon deal with the mess he has created. I know Aceves is your closer now and that is the closer’s role, but let’s face it he’s not Papelbon or even Bard for that matter. He isn’t gonna come in and blow two guys away to force extras. Granted what ensued was sort of fluke, but Aceves didn’t do his job. He snapped off a breaking ball that the hitter “checked” his swing on and ended up catching him in the shoe. Then with the infield pulled in Austin Jackson snuck a chopper past third-basemen Nick Punto. Keep in mind this all happened against the bottom of the Tigers lineup.

Now tomorrow the Sox need to get a win. Everyone in that clubhouse needs a win. They send Josh Beckett to the mound despite him having problems with his thumb. At his best he can be one of the best pitchers in baseball, but he is going to have to keep the Tigers in the yard. When he isn’t pitching well he tends to give up the long ball and the Sox don’t want to get into a Home Run derby with the likes of Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera.