Sox week in review: The good, the bad and the ugly
The Guru
Contributing Writer
It was an emotional week for the Olde Towne Team. Former manager Terry Francona returned to Fenway Park, injuries tested the Sox depth and the RemDawg was exposed.
The Red Sox did go 4-3 on the week with wins over Minnesota, Chicago and two over Cleveland. The Sox record now stands at 30-20, one game behind the first place Yankees and are 7-3 in their last ten games.
Let's take a look at the good, the bad and the ugly.
The good: Dustin Pedroia continues to be the MVP of this Sox team. Whether it's with the bat or the glove, Pedroia continues to shine. In the last week Pedey has hit .310 with a home run, 7 RBI and five runs scored. Is he the best second baseman in baseball? Discuss.
Daniel Nava is quietly having himself a very good season. Nava is currently second on the team in slugging percentage (.894) behind only David Ortiz. In his past 7 games Nava is hitting .333. Think about this for a moment: for the price the Sox paid to just talk to Daisuke Matsuzaka they could have had 50 million Daniel Nava's. The best dollar John Henry ever spent.
John Lackey has somehow returned to relevance. In his last two starts Lackey is 2-0, has not given up an earned run nor made a quick chicken run to Popeyes. That is all.
The bad: Will Middlebrooks went 2 for 19 before hitting the disabled list with a sore lower back. Middlebrooks has not looked comfortable at the plate or in the field. He is hitting .201 and leads the team with 7 errors. Let's hope two weeks off gets him back on track or the Sox will be shopping by the All-Star break.
Ryan Dempster's struggles continued last week. He lasted only 3 innings against the Indians Thursday night. Dempster has given up 15 earned runs in his last 3 starts. The Sox were counting on this guy to be an innings eater. So far he has been Dice-K-esque.
Stephen "I'm not JD" Drew has looked a lot worse than his brother actually. Drew is mired in an 0-17 slump. Am I the only one that feels nervous whenever he gets a ball hit to him? Am I the only one that thinks Drew is going to shatter when he slides into a base? BTW Jose Iglesias went 3 for 4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored yesterday. Just sayin'.
The Ugly: Injuries will test the Sox over the next two weeks. With both Middlebrooks and Shane Victorino (hamstring) on the DL, the Red Sox depth is going to be stretched. Can the likes of journeyman Pedro Ciriaco and light-hitting/slick-fielding Iglesias hold their own? Can I make a case for Xander Bogaerts? I smell a future column.
Jonny Gomes was brought in to hit lefties and be a good clubhouse guy. Not sure, but I think a new puppy would be good in the clubhouse and hit .178. However, Gomes is housebroken. Is it me or does Gomes look like a reject from a Rob Zombie movie?
Jacoby Ellsbury. His 2011 season is looking more and more like an illusion. I said it. It's not popular to say. Especially with the ladies. Many hoped and some predicted (me included) that a healthy Ellsbury would return to his 30/30 form. It does not look like that is going to happen. Ellsbury is hitting .249, has shown no power (.337 slugging) and while he has 14 steals, he only has four in the last month. The Sox did not trade Ellsbury in the offseason because they banked on big numbers in a contract year. Friends of Red Sox Life made bold predictions yesterday. Well, here's mine: Ellsbury will finish the year with 11 home runs, 45 RBI, 30 steals and hit .278. That's a $100 million dollar "no".
Questions and comments encouraged below. Follow The Guru on Twitter @TheGuruGS
More musings from The Guru.
Contributing Writer
It was an emotional week for the Olde Towne Team. Former manager Terry Francona returned to Fenway Park, injuries tested the Sox depth and the RemDawg was exposed.
The Red Sox did go 4-3 on the week with wins over Minnesota, Chicago and two over Cleveland. The Sox record now stands at 30-20, one game behind the first place Yankees and are 7-3 in their last ten games.
Let's take a look at the good, the bad and the ugly.
The good: Dustin Pedroia continues to be the MVP of this Sox team. Whether it's with the bat or the glove, Pedroia continues to shine. In the last week Pedey has hit .310 with a home run, 7 RBI and five runs scored. Is he the best second baseman in baseball? Discuss.
Daniel Nava is quietly having himself a very good season. Nava is currently second on the team in slugging percentage (.894) behind only David Ortiz. In his past 7 games Nava is hitting .333. Think about this for a moment: for the price the Sox paid to just talk to Daisuke Matsuzaka they could have had 50 million Daniel Nava's. The best dollar John Henry ever spent.
John Lackey has somehow returned to relevance. In his last two starts Lackey is 2-0, has not given up an earned run nor made a quick chicken run to Popeyes. That is all.
The bad: Will Middlebrooks went 2 for 19 before hitting the disabled list with a sore lower back. Middlebrooks has not looked comfortable at the plate or in the field. He is hitting .201 and leads the team with 7 errors. Let's hope two weeks off gets him back on track or the Sox will be shopping by the All-Star break.
Ryan Dempster's struggles continued last week. He lasted only 3 innings against the Indians Thursday night. Dempster has given up 15 earned runs in his last 3 starts. The Sox were counting on this guy to be an innings eater. So far he has been Dice-K-esque.
Stephen "I'm not JD" Drew has looked a lot worse than his brother actually. Drew is mired in an 0-17 slump. Am I the only one that feels nervous whenever he gets a ball hit to him? Am I the only one that thinks Drew is going to shatter when he slides into a base? BTW Jose Iglesias went 3 for 4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored yesterday. Just sayin'.
The Ugly: Injuries will test the Sox over the next two weeks. With both Middlebrooks and Shane Victorino (hamstring) on the DL, the Red Sox depth is going to be stretched. Can the likes of journeyman Pedro Ciriaco and light-hitting/slick-fielding Iglesias hold their own? Can I make a case for Xander Bogaerts? I smell a future column.
Jonny Gomes was brought in to hit lefties and be a good clubhouse guy. Not sure, but I think a new puppy would be good in the clubhouse and hit .178. However, Gomes is housebroken. Is it me or does Gomes look like a reject from a Rob Zombie movie?
Jacoby Ellsbury. His 2011 season is looking more and more like an illusion. I said it. It's not popular to say. Especially with the ladies. Many hoped and some predicted (me included) that a healthy Ellsbury would return to his 30/30 form. It does not look like that is going to happen. Ellsbury is hitting .249, has shown no power (.337 slugging) and while he has 14 steals, he only has four in the last month. The Sox did not trade Ellsbury in the offseason because they banked on big numbers in a contract year. Friends of Red Sox Life made bold predictions yesterday. Well, here's mine: Ellsbury will finish the year with 11 home runs, 45 RBI, 30 steals and hit .278. That's a $100 million dollar "no".
Questions and comments encouraged below. Follow The Guru on Twitter @TheGuruGS
More musings from The Guru.
