Pitching and defense? by Jared Carrabis
More like, "Offense and offense."


For months, we were being sold on the idea that this team was built around pitching and defense.

Well, I want a refund.

After Josh Beckett's abysmal outing, in which Red Sox fans watched their ace last just three innings, yielding eight earned runs on nine hits, the cumulative ERA of all Boston starters shot from 5.06 to 5.56.

Monday night was the quickest that Beckett had gotten the hook since way back on Dustin Pedroia's birthday, August 17 of 2008. Coincidentally, it was also against the Toronto Blue Jays. The right-hander lasted just 2.1 innings in that start, giving up eight earned in that start as well.

"The numbers tell everything, and they're not good," said Beckett.

What numbers you ask? In Beckett's last two starts, he has an alarming ERA of 13.50 and has given up five earned runs or more in three of his five starts this April.

However, he's not the lone ranger on the Red Sox' pitching staff who is struggling. For Boston, it was the first time since 1946 that the Red Sox had won two consecutive games, while allowing 16 hits or more.

With an early exit for Beckett, this would have been an ideal situation to unveil Tim Wakefield in his new role as a reliever, but due to his unavailability after starting on Sunday, it was a marathon of bullpen arms.

Scott Atchison and Scott Schoeneweis each allowed a run, and Hideki Okajima was touched up for a pair of runs for the second consecutive outing. Manny Delcarmen was brilliant yet again, turning in two scoreless innings of relief. Delcarmen has now made eight appearances in 2010 and has held teams scoreless in seven of them.

His work did not go unnoticed, as Terry Francona had nothing but praise for his reliever after the game by saying, "Manny Delcarmen, what he gave us was huge."

The large portion of the offensive punch was provided by the top three hitters in the lineup submitted by manager Francona. Leadoff hitter Marco Scutaro, Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis combined to go 9-for-15 (.600) with two walks, drove 4 RBI and accounted for nine of Boston's thirteen runs scored.

Their nine hits were distributed evenly amongst each other, but those heavy hitters weren't the only ones who showed up to the ballpark with some lumber. The captain, Jason Varitek, kept his bat red-hot by going 3-for-5, with 4 RBI and two runs scored.

It was Varitek's first three-hit game since the day prior to Victor Martinez becoming a member of the Red Sox, July 30, 2009.

Not to be outdone by his teammates, Adrian Beltre also had himself a three-hit night at the plate. For Beltre, you don't have to dig as deep for his last three-hit game, as it came on the 11th of this month against the Royals in Kansas City.

Four hours, 399 total pitches between the two teams, 18 hits and 13 Boston runs later, the Red Sox had themselves a one-run lead to protect in the bottom of the ninth. Enter: Jonathan Papelbon. It took the Boston closer just 11 pitches, in which he threw nine for strikes, to shut the door on the Jays, securing his sixth save of the season.

Final score: Red Sox 13, Blue Jays 12

"That was not the way we drew it up, and I think I've said that a few times this year," Francona said after what was the longest nine-inning game of the 2010 major league season.

Tweet of the night:

This one comes from Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe:

@PeteAbe: Jason Varitek partying like it's 2003: He's 2 for 3 with four RBI. #redsox

Tuesday's pitching match-up:

Clay Buchholz will be called upon in the middle-game of this three-game set. Buchholz is coming off an impressive start, where the right-hander set a career high with 10 strikeouts. Aside from a nightmarish seventh inning, Buchholz pitched a fantastic game, and certainly well enough to win. However, the Boston offense was a lack thereof. In his career, Buchholz is 3-1 against Toronto with a 3.60 ERA and fairs even better at the Rogers Centre, boasting a 2-0 record in two starts, with an ERA of 1.54. Blue Jays' righty Shaun Marcum is 4-2 lifetime against Boston with a 3.67 ERA.

-Jared Carrabis

To order Jared's debut book, One Fan's Story: If This Hat Could Talk, click HERE!





Published on April 27, 2010

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