The Captain's Back by Jared Carrabis
Varitek Goes Deep, Sox Win Big

If you read my blog yesterday, you knew that somewhere back home in Boston I had a big smile on my face when Jason Varitek hit his second home run in as many games last night in Baltimore. The captain had himself a nice 2-for-5 night in Boston's 7-2 win over the Orioles. A game in which that was started by potential Cy Young Award candidate, Daisuke Matsuzaka. With the win, Matsuzaka improved to 15-2 on the season but he did so in typical Daisuke Matsuzaka fashion by lasting just five innings, throwing 105 pitches and walking five batters.


You may have noticed that Matsuzaka has a thing for getting himself into jams and then pitching out of them flawlessly. The Japanese right-hander got himself into a bases loaded jam twice last night and pitched out of both jams with zero damage being done. Hitters are now 0-for-14 against Daisuke Matsuzaka in a bases loaded situation on the entire season. Matsuzaka gave up just six hits in his five innings of work to keep his opponents batting average to .213 on the season. Matsuzaka's two earned runs all came in the bottom of the third but he pitched his way out of the Orioles having a big inning. He racked up six K's on the night.


Red Sox fans are hoping to the baseball Gods that we are in the midst of witnessing the resurgance of Jason Varitek's bat. The captain has homered in the past two consecutive games and has done so hitting from the left side of the plate. Most of Varitek's power comes when he hits from the right side, so to be getting good wood from the left side can only be a good sign of things to come. "I can't change my batting average, but I can still help this team win" Varitek said after last night's win.


Varitek's recent power stroke has come on the road where his numbers are significantly worse than his numbers at Fenway, which is also a good sign if he can start hitting both on the road and at home. Varitek's tenth home run of the season last night made him the first Red Sox catcher to hit ten home runs or more in nine seasons to put himself above the great Carlton Fisk.


Since ending his most recent hitting streak, Dustin Pedroia is currently riding a seven game hit streak that started the day after he ended his most recent hitting streak. Pedroia's average now sits comfortably at .320 on the season ranking him second in the American League four points behind Joe Mauer and sixth in the Majors, both ranks in which he shares with his teammate Kevin Youkilis who also is hitting .320 this season.


Kevin Youkilis hit his 24th home run of the season last night to put even more distance between his previous season high of 16 home runs in which he hit last season. Youkilis has also now set a new career high in runs batted in with his 87 in which he currently has now breaking his career high of 83 that he knocked in last season as well. In the month of August, Kevin Youkilis is hitting at a .414 clip with six home runs and sixteen RBI.


Clay Buchholz is set to take the mound tonight in which could be arguably his biggest start of the season. This one start could make or break the amount of innings that Buchholz will see down the stretch as we prepare to enter the month of September. He has not started a game since August tenth when he gave up three home runs to the Chicago White Sox. Buchholz will have to do without the likes of one of the greatest game callers in baseball, Jason Varitek, who is scheduled to have a night off in the final game of this three game set.

Final Score: Red Sox 7, Orioles 2

Published on August 20, 2008

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