5/13 @ LA of Anaheim

[Jasonbay44]

s***** game, complete game by Matt Palmer, f***ing horrible, even if he gave up 4 runs.

[schillingouttheks]

Alright. I'm serving up a large helping of schillingouttheks mojo tomorrow. Don't make the thread, bitchnits.

[a700hitter]

Palmer owned us tonight. Tomorrow they get to face Santana instead of Saunders. That might be a break. Doesn't Saunders do pretty well agaisnt the Sox/

[example1]

You made my point. "On pace" at this juncture is not an inicator of how a team will finish. Thank you.

 

It is if your team is 12-22 and, frankly, the teams listed all were good and finished well except for injuries.

[ms_sox]

Awww crap, we lost.

Bard's debut was fairly wicked. Definitely makes me want to see more of him.

[a700hitter]

It is if your team is 12-22 and, frankly, the teams listed all were good and finished well except for injuries.[/quoteTeams with bad starting pitching are almost never successful in the end regardless of their records after 30 games. At this point, Red Sox starting pitching has been very bad. It is last in the league. This needs to turn around or they will not be at the top of the standings by year end. The lineup is no longer the run producing machine that it was in 2003 to 2005. The starters need to perform in the top half of the league for the team to be successful. At this point, not one of the starters has shown any consistent success. For us to be saying "what an awesome staff" is very premature. Right now, they stink. Being last in a league of stinky rotations stinks. There is no way around that.

[Dipre]

Teams with bad starting pitching are almost never successful in the end regardless of their records after 30 games. At this point' date=' Red Sox starting pitching has been very bad. It is last in the league. This needs to turn around or they will not be at the top of the standings by year end. The lineup is no longer the run producing machine that it was in 2003 to 2005. The starters need to perform in the top half of the league for the team to be successful. At this point, not one of the starters has shown any consistent success. For us to be saying "what an awesome staff" is very premature. Right now, they stink. Being last in a league of stinky rotations stinks. There is no way around that.[/quote']

 

He speaks the truth.

 

However, we all know what this rotation is capable of if Beckett and Lester regain their form, plus the impending return Daisuke "Heart Attack" Matsuzaka might be enough to vault us to the better half of the league in rotation ERA.

 

That being said, i trust Beckett is regaining his form and status as staff ace, but i'm legitimately concerned about Jon Lester.

 

Why can't he keep his stuff down in the zone with any consistency?

 

When Lester keeps that cutter and 4-seam down in the zone, he's downright filthy, but except for his exercise in ownage against the O's, not in one of his starts have i seen him keep the ball in the low corners of the plate with any regularity.

 

Thoughts, anyone?

[a700hitter]

He speaks the truth.

 

However, we all know what this rotation is capable of if Beckett and Lester regain their form, plus the impending return Daisuke "Heart Attack" Matsuzaka might be enough to vault us to the better half of the league in rotation ERA.

 

That being said, i trust Beckett is regaining his form and status as staff ace, but i'm legitimately concerned about Jon Lester.

 

Why can't he keep his stuff down in the zone with any consistency?

 

When Lester keeps that cutter and 4-seam down in the zone, he's downright filthy, but except for his exercise in ownage against the O's, not in one of his starts have i seen him keep the ball in the low corners of the plate with any regularity.

 

Thoughts, anyone?

I have been at 3 of his starts including a gem against the Orioles. His stuff gets better with each start. He is pumping at 95 - 96 in the 1st inning. However, his command is very inconsistent from inning to inning. Hopefully, the consistent command will return. I am more concerned about Beckett. He blows up in the 4th or 5th inning around the 70 - 80 pitch mark in every game.

[ORS]

Lester is at a career high in K/9, and a career low in BB/9, both good things. What's hurting him is another career high in HR/9, with an extremely high, for him, HR/FB rate. The K/9 suggests he's tougher to hit. The BB/9 suggests he's throwing it where he wants to more. I don't think the HR/9 and HR/FB keep it up if the other rates stay where they are.

 

Anecdotally, in his last outing, the Longoria HR was exactly the pitch DipreG is looking for. It was at the knees and on the outer edge of the plate. Longoria went down and got it. Tip your cap.

 

Also anecdotally, it feels like every GB finds a hole and/or every bloop is falling in (hello, .393 BABIP).

 

Like a700, I'm more worried about Beckett, who appears to have no out pitch.

[MNSoxChief102]

Lester is at a career high in K/9, and a career low in BB/9, both good things. What's hurting him is another career high in HR/9, with an extremely high, for him, HR/FB rate. The K/9 suggests he's tougher to hit. The BB/9 suggests he's throwing it where he wants to more. I don't think the HR/9 and HR/FB keep it up if the other rates stay where they are.

 

Anecdotally, in his last outing, the Longoria HR was exactly the pitch DipreG is looking for. It was at the knees and on the outer edge of the plate. Longoria went down and got it. Tip your cap.

 

Also anecdotally, it feels like every GB finds a hole and/or every bloop is falling in (hello, .393 BABIP).

 

Like a700, I'm more worried about Beckett, who appears to have no out pitch.

 

My sentiments as well... I think Lester will settle down as the season progresses and get back to the dominance we saw last year. He's throwing plenty of strikes, but good hitters like Longoria find ways around that. Got to be patient...

 

As for Beckett, I don't really know what to think right now. Just when I feel like he's got it figured out and he's going to mow people down like 2007, he gets hammered and I go back to square one. He's missing that killer pitch to finish off ABs right now... if he finds it, he'll be the old Beck we love, but if not, we may have to settle with him being average this year.

[BoSox21]

what was Bard topping out at?

[TheKilo]

what was Bard topping out at?

 

I think he hit 98

 

Lester will be fine, Beckett could stand for a luck improvement as well. Beckett's got the same problem Papelbon is having in there is too much horizontal movement on his fastball right now and he can't control it.

[MNSoxChief102]

what was Bard topping out at?

 

He hit 97 on the gun, but Tito said that Anaheim's posted speeds are always lower than what they should be. I'd say he was throwing 98-99 for sure, especially on the Napoli AB where he struck him out.

[BoSox21]

the game is at 3:35 today for anyone wanting to start the GT and Pedroia is starting

[redsoxrules]

SOTK said he would do it

[Dipre]

Lester is at a career high in K/9, and a career low in BB/9, both good things. What's hurting him is another career high in HR/9, with an extremely high, for him, HR/FB rate. The K/9 suggests he's tougher to hit. The BB/9 suggests he's throwing it where he wants to more. I don't think the HR/9 and HR/FB keep it up if the other rates stay where they are.

 

Anecdotally, in his last outing, the Longoria HR was exactly the pitch DipreG is looking for. It was at the knees and on the outer edge of the plate. Longoria went down and got it. Tip your cap.

 

Also anecdotally, it feels like every GB finds a hole and/or every bloop is falling in (hello, .393 BABIP).

 

Like a700, I'm more worried about Beckett, who appears to have no out pitch.

 

I guess the Longoria blast was on an excellent pitch, but he has been hitting anything anywhere this year, and i suppose if you take the two Tampa outings away, he doesn't have such awful numbers.

 

However, i was speaking from what i've seen, and what i've seen is him keeping the ball up and in the hitters' wheelhouse a lot more often, specially against RH hitters.

[Mr Crunchy]

His overall consistancy seems off and the long ball has killed him.

Longoria is hitting everything these days so you can make a pass on that guy beating you but its more than that.

Hes gone from the top lefty in the a.l to a very mediocre pitcher and it started in florida back in march.

I have heard and read everything from delivery issues to him trying to break in a new pitch yet he hasnt figured it out yet, his velocity seems fine, his command is off.

Hes young and if theres no arm trouble ya got to figure he will settle in and be himself soon.

The reality.

if he never wins another game in Boston he will still be a lifelong Icon and worthy of a statue just for his balls and his humble approach to everything he has accomplished,Christ what a story this guy is.

In this town where the Jimmy Fund was invented and had its noble beginings Jon Lester is an example that thousands and thousands of kids can look to for hope.

In the game of life that trumps being the best lefty in the american league.

Sox players will come and go as long as we live but Jon Lester is 1 of those guys we will never forget.

[Dipre]

His overall consistancy seems off and the long ball has killed him.

Longoria is hitting everything these days so you can make a pass on that guy beating you but its more than that.

Hes gone from the top lefty in the a.l to a very mediocre pitcher and it started in florida back in march.

I have heard and read everything from delivery issues to him trying to break in a new pitch yet he hasnt figured it out yet, his velocity seems fine, his command is off.

Hes young and if theres no arm trouble ya got to figure he will settle in and be himself soon.

The reality.

if he never wins another game in Boston he will still be a lifelong Icon and worthy of a statue just for his balls and his humble approach to everything he has accomplished,Christ what a story this guy is.

In this town where the Jimmy Fund was invented and had its noble beginings Jon Lester is an example that thousands and thousands of kids can look to for hope.

In the game of life that trumps being the best lefty in the american league.

Sox players will come and go as long as we live but Jon Lester is 1 of those guys we will never forget.

 

I usually don't agree with you, but those are my feelings towards Lester as well.

 

But i think he'll get it figured out in the next couple of starts, and a nice beginning would be keeping that 4-seamer and curveball out of RHH's powe zone.