Lackey took a step in the right direction on Sunday in his first start since being activated off the disabled list, allowing three runs on three hits in 5 2/3 innings and picking up the win as the Sox completed a three-game sweep of the Oakland Athletics.
The right-hander wasn't terrific, struggling a little bit with his control at times, but he was good enough to give the Red Sox a chance to win — something he had not been in his three starts leading up to his DL stint.
Prior to his return on Sunday, Lackey's last start came on May 11, in which he allowed nine earned runs in a 9-3 loss in Toronto. Before that, he allowed eight earned runs on 10 hits through four innings of an 11-0 loss to the Angels on May 5.
Clearly, his performance on Saturday was encouraging considering he didn't implode like he did in those two shaky outings. But it was also encouraging to see the way in which Lackey was getting hitters out.
With a good mix of pitches and good movement on his slider and cutter, Lackey induced 10 ground-ball outs. Only five outs were recorded via fly balls, which marks the first time this season that Lackey has recorded more outs on ground balls than fly balls.
If Lackey can keep the ball down in the zone, and subsequently balls in play out of the air, it greatly increases his effectiveness.
The right-hander threw 93 pitches — 54 for strikes — on Sunday and said that while he still needs to build a little arm strength, his arm felt better than it has.
With Daisuke Matsuzaka requiring Tommy John surgery and missing the remainder of the season, the Red Sox can't afford to lose Lackey again for any extended period of time. So to hear that he felt good following the game should be music to manager Terry Francona's ears.
The Red Sox' trio of Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz is as good as any in baseball. But beyond those top three, the Sox have faced questions regarding their rotation all season. Lackey's presence in the rotation at least gives the Sox some stability and allows them to keep Alfredo Aceves in the bullpen, where he's been extremely valuable to the club as a long reliever.
Of course, the extent of that stability is contingent on Lackey improving his dismal season, which he did on Saturday. Lackey doesn't need to be lights out every start, but he needs to be consistent, which was his hallmark prior to arriving in Boston.
Before last season, Lackey had compiled five consecutive seasons of 10 or more wins with an ERA under 4.00 — his 2010 ERA was 4.41 and this season his ERA stands at a whopping 7.60 so far. Johan Santana and Roy Halladay were the only two other pitchers who could claim to possess that resume.
So what's better than a Big Three in your starting rotation? A Big Four.
Sure, Lackey might never prove to be worth an average of $16.5 million a season. But the Sox need him to take the ball every five days. With an offense as potent as the Red Sox', they can live with quality performances like Sunday, as long as they don't come once a month.
