This is certainly not the Derek Lowe Face. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) |
So Jon Lester pitches a gem, the bats of the Red Sox finally come to life and the Sox leave Toronto without getting swept. I’ll take it.
There still isn’t all that much confidence (from me) in a Lester appearance but yesterday he really came through. 6 innings, 12 strikeouts, only 3 walks, 3 hits and 1 earned run. More of THIS Jon Lester, please.
Big Papi is still struggling and it’s painful to watch. But if I read one more person suggest he go to AAA, I’m going to scream. Over the past week I’ve read at least three different writers suggest the Sox send him to Pawtucket without the writers acknowledging that, in order to do so, you need to either put him on the disabled list and then have him rehab down there or you need to designate him for assignment, hope he clears waivers and then agrees to be assigned to Pawtucket. You can’t just wave your hand and magically send him there. It’s possible the people suggesting he go to Pawtucket know this but as I haven’t read those scenarios anywhere just the outcry of “He’s struggling. Send him down!”, I’m going to guess maybe they don’t. It’s a horrible slump that Papi is in but I’m not convinced he’s “done”. Although, I do believe that age and his past injuries are playing a part in what’s going on with him, I’ve seen too many of his swings that looked good and just ended up in someone’s glove for me to believe he’s done. It’s taking too long for anyone’s liking but I think he’ll bounce back. Certainly not to the Papi of 2005 but not the one we see right now either.
Sox get a day off today. I hate days off. Well, for ME I love days off but for the Sox I hate them. Thankfully, it’s a day off after a win because days off after a loss (in spite of what I wrote yesterday) really get me antsy. I like them to get right back out there after a loss. But they won so I can’t be too anxious. Tomorrow starts a series against Detroit with Daisuke Matsuzaka pitching against Rick Porcello. These next three games might prove to be tough given how the Tigers have been playing. I’m hoping, as always, the Sox can take the series and have higher hopes for the second and third games than I do tomorrow night’s.
If you see him today, wish Derek Lowe a happy 36th birthday! (Holy cow! D-Lowe is 36? In baseball, once you’re over 35 does that make you one of the “old” guys?)
Enjoy the off-day, folks. Tomorrow starts more fun for the boys!