The Good, the bad and the ugly: Week in review

The Guru
Contributing Writer

The Red Sox went 2-5 for the week. Their record stands at 22-15, one game behind the first place Yankees. The Sox lost last Sunday to the Texas Rangers, then took only one of four from the Minnesota Twins before rebounding Friday night with a win over the Blue Jays. The Sox wasted another good outing from Clay Buchholz and lost again yesterday afternoon 3-2.

The Good: Jon Lester threw a one-hit gem Friday night against the Jays. Last Sunday in Texas, Lester picked up a no-decision throwing six innings and giving up three runs with seven strikeouts in a 4-3 loss.

Dustin Pedroia hit .481 (13-27) for the week with his first home run, three RBI, five runs scored, two steals and made some sparkling plays in the field.

Shane Victorino is hitting .400 (10-25) since missing a week with back spasms at the end of April. Last week Victorino hit two home runs, two RBI and scored six runs.

The Bad: Allen Webster was looked to be a possible answer as a fifth starter but had a complete meltdown Wednesday. Webster was shelled in 1.2 innings giving up eight earned runs before being shipped back to Pawtucket.

Felix Doubront came in after Webster, threw 105 pitches in only 5 1/3 innings and gave up six runs. After reportedly coming into spring training out of shape, Doubront's velocity has been down and he has not looked sharp all year. His ERA now stands at 6.59.

Mike Napoli had a tough week as he didn't have a home run, only one RBI and six strike outs. While it was not expected Napoli would win a gold glove at first base, he has looked particularly bad at handling throws in the dirt.

The Ugly: The Red Sox defense had a rough week. Errors have been costly. Pedro Ciriaco's two error game Thursday night allowed the Twins to break the game open. Will Middlebrook's and Ciriaco lead the team with five errors each. The Sox currently have 22 errors on the year ranking tenth in the American League.

Joel Hanrahan's season has ended before it really ever started. Hanrahan will have season-ending surgery to repair his flexor tendon in his pitching arm. With Hanrahan only signed through the end of this year it's likely we have seen the last of "The Hammer".

And finally it was an ugly week for David Ortiz. Dan "The Cooler" Shaughnessy wrote a column suggesting the 27-game hit streak Ortiz was on may have been chemically aided. The column drew some heavy criticism from many in Red Sox Nation. Ortiz of course denied the accusations and promptly went in a slump. He is 1-20 since. Someone ought to hire Shaughnessy in Vegas.

After today's game with the Jays, the Red Sox will be tested on a nine game road trip that takes them to Tampa, Minnesota and Chicago. The Sox won't be home again until May 23 when old friend Terry Francona and the Cleveland Indians come to town.

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