The Red Sox are home until the break. They have 10 games remaining,
three series against teams that are a combined 21 games under .500.
This is the final sprint before the midseason deep breath. The team’s
next day off is Monday, July 13, the start of the All-Star Game work
stoppage. At that point, we will be knee-deep in talk about the pending
July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.
All that talk about the best available pitcher or position player
can wait. In the weeks ahead, the hue and cry over a new shortstop will
build into a late-July frenzy.
For now, we sit here with the Sox on top of the American League,
getting ready to take the field Friday with seven straight series wins.
What should you look for over these final three home series before the
break?
1. Jason Bay
He had a woeful road trip, culminating with a five-strikeout
performance in Wednesday’s stirring comeback win at Camden Yards. In
that series alone, Bay went 0-for-15 with nine strikeouts. Now he will
have a nice, long homestand to prep for his first American League
All-Star Game.
Bay has now struck out 76 times, among the most in the league.
Strikeouts are part of the package with Jason Bay. He has struck out
140 or more times three of the last four years, and is on pace to
record a career-high strikeout total this year. As Tony Massarotti
pointed out on our postgame show yesterday, he is also on pace to get a
hit and an RBI (along with one strikeout) every game. Will we take 162
K’s if it goes along with 162 hits and 162 RBIs? Absolutely.
2. John Smoltz
He’s still looking for his first win as a member of the Red Sox. He
should’ve gotten it on Tuesday, but his four-inning, 52-pitch outing
was cut short by rain. By the time the game got going again, the
Orioles rallied against the bullpen for an 11-10 win. On Monday, he’ll
make his first start at Fenway. It’ll be a great moment, as most Sox
fans get their first look at the future Hall of Famer in a Red Sox
uniform.
It’s a moment that might get overshadowed, because we’ll be watching…
3. Nomar Garciaparra
Hard to believe it’s been nearly five years since Nomah has played a
game at Fenway. He will be here with the Oakland A’s starting Monday. A
lot has happened since he was shipped off to Chicago on July 31, 2004.
He went from the Cubs to the Dodgers to the A’s. Now, back in the AL,
he will return to Boston. Nomar is now fighting a chronic calf injury,
and bounces from DH to third to first — mostly DH of late. He hasn’t
started a game in the field since May 23.
4. Jonathan Papelbon
Somehow, Red Sox fans have gotten obsessed with the feeling that
Papelbon hasn’t been his usual self this season. Yes, he has had some
control issues: He has already walked twice as many batters this year
(17 in 35 innings) as he did in all of last year (eight in 69.1
innings). His WHIP is up because of that, but all of his other numbers
(ERA, strikeouts, batting average against) are right in line with the
previous three years of his closing career. Most importantly, he is
getting the job done. He is ahead of last year’s pace with 20 saves and
has only blown two save opportunities.
Papelbon is fine. So is his team. They have the best home record in
the league, and with 10 straight at Fenway, they should be sitting
pretty come the break.
