In the series finale, the Sox received some starting pitching help from an unliklely source in Franklin Morales. The left-hander pitched five solid innings in his first start since 2009, striking out nine while allowing just two runs on four hits. And while Red Sox Nation probably won’t see Morales join the rotation full-time this year, the spot start was a pleasant surprise, as Bobby Valentine now knows he has a new weapon at his disposal should he choose to use it.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox lineup — and outfield, in particular — remains just as much a revolving door as the rotation. The biggest question that manager Bobby Valentine has had to deal with day in and day out is how to get Adrian Gonzalez, Will Middlebrooks and Kevin Youkilis all into the starting lineup. The questions will only increase when Jacoby Ellsbury, Carl Crawford and the rest of the team gets healthy.
NESN.com MLB writer Didier Morais discussed the Sox, the Yankees’ recent tear and Manny Ramirez‘s release on the latest MLB podcast. Listen in the player below or subscribe to iTunes to listen there.
