DL the pitching staff?

The knee of David Wells can't be blamed. It's been put through a lot through the years. Pitching is never easy on a body, but carrying some extra weight around is sure to shorten the lifetime warrant on a body's knees, so I don't blame Wells nknee for giving out now.

Matt Clement has been suffering from something lately and may just end up on the DL, as well. I, unlike a lot of people on the radio lately, don't think Matt's problem is in his head. I think there's something else going on that's rendering his pitching a little awkward.

Oh, and in case you missed it, Timlin is on the DL as well.

But where does that leave the Red Sox? With two of their starting pitchers likely to be on the DL next week, how are they going to make up the difference? Alvarez is likely to be called up to fill in for Wells and Manny Delcarmen will replace Timlin in the bullpen. But will that be enough?

I'm beginning to wonder if trading away Arroyo was the best idea, after all. I have stated before that I thought it was a good deal for the Red Sox. I just didn't like the way they treated Bronson. But now?

Red Sox are where they need to be

And it all comes down to pitching. They have a great 1-2 punch in Beckett and Schilling, along with a great closer in Papelbon.

I have to admit, I never saw the possibility of Jon Papelbon becoming a star closer, but that's because I was (and still am, btw) wedded to the idea of Papelbon becoming a starter. I want him out there for more innings than he's getting now. He could be the next Roger Clemens, not the next Mariano Riviera.

But the possibility of him moving back into the starting rotation gets slimmer every day. After Foulke blew up the other day and with Hansen getting 'stretched' out, it looks like the Red Sox have no plans to move Pap out of the bullpen.

So, is that ok? Will Red Sox Nation be alright with a rookie closing out games in the final days of the season? If we make it into the playoffs, will Jonathan make it all seem easy. Only time will tell. I have to admit, it makes me nervous, but not as nervous as I would be with Foulke out there closing out important games.

Clement says it all

I would have to say Clements quote on last night's game sums it up completely.

BostonHerald

“When you get runs off Randy Johnson, you’ve got to win the game because he’s not going to struggle very long, and you’ve got to take advantage when you can,” Clement said. “Give him credit. He righted the ship and I wasn’t able to.”

But the good news is the sky hasn't fallen, the sun came back up this morning, I managed to get to work in less than an hour,... all good things are still possible. Clement was hit by a ball in the second inning and never really recovered (he was limping after the game).

But if you listen to the radio this morning, you would think the Sox are on the verge of being eliminated from the playoffs. Some perspective is needed on last night's game. Our number four starter got blown out by a very good lineup. Why is this shocking? I'd rather have Clement pitch better, but it's really not a big deal. He'll get his wins for the season and we'll be right there in the playoff race at the end of the season.

What I thought was important about last nights game was two fold. Manny showed some power and our lack of long relief was exposed. Manny seems to always come around eventually, but this slump of his has lasted longer than it normally should. I expected him to turn it around two weeks ago at the latest, so its really nice to see his return to form. As for the long relief, I'm not sure what they can do about that.

Red Sox T-Shirt: Fenway Faithful

I just found out about a new t-shirt from Todd Muchmore from SportsBlogs. If you're looking to show off your allegiance to your Boston Red Sox, you may want to check out fenwayfaithfultees.com.

They currently have Boston and New York tees available, but are hoping to add Florida and California t-shirts soon. And as we all know, there are a lot of dislocated fans in California who might be interested.

I'm getting tired of the Yankees

It seems like all people can talk about lately is how Randy Johnson is falling apart from age. And if it's not about Randy, it's all about ARod and how he is being blamed for all things bad in New York.

And I don't understand it at all. Yes, Randy Johnson is struggling right now, but that happens to everyone. I expect he'll figure it out and pitch well in a few games (just not tonight!). Then everyone will forget it and move on.

And the whole ARod/Jeter thing is ridiculous. ARod may be the best player in baseball right now. Of course he's going to get blamed for losses. That's what happens. In Boston, we blame Manny for not carrying the Red Sox, for being in a slump, for not legging it out, etc... While Ortiz gets all the credit in the world.

And the reason is simple. Manny is better than Ortiz. ARod is better than Jeter. So we put more responsibility at their feet. More responsibility comes with more flack. That's just the way it goes.

Do I think it's ARod's fault that the Yankees are 'struggling' right now? No. I put the blame squarely onto the pitching staff and those responsible for assembling it (Cashman/Torre).