Sox Lead MLB with Best Record
It feels very strange writing that headline. Happened to be at the game last night, to see the Sox beat the tar our of the Astro's pitching staff, in an 8-4 game that really wasn't that close. There's been a lot of talk about 'are the Sox real'? A natural question since they were so awful last year. I think it's worthwhile trying to answer.
ERA: 3.49
I wrote
last year that the Sox had their work cut out for them to fix the pitching. I thought it highly improbable that they would be able to reduce their ERA enough from a woeful 4.7 to something that would help them win. So far? A 3.49, a full run plus reduction in ERA. Cherrington adopted (smartly) the Baltimore model - load up with power arms in the bullpen, and then you don't have to worry about getting 7 from your starters. And the starters have started hot - Buckholz looks like he's on fire, and Lester has fixed some issues and is pitching like a different guy. Will they continue to pitch this well? I have my doubts -some regression to the mean should be expected - but the depth at AAA is encouraging in case their are the inevitable injuries.
Lineup might not be scary, but it's hard to pitch to.
I've enjoyed watching the Sox this season not just because they are winning, but how they are winning. Offensively, that has been because everyone has been capable of a big hit (even Drew). Napoli, Ortiz, Pedroia, of course, but also Victarino, Nava, Gomes, Middlebrooks. In a close game, they are sneaky hard to pitch to. People are going to start talking about Nava as more than a role player if he keeps hitting like he does in big spots. His OBP - near .400 - shows that plate discipline can really help a player with less raw talent. The surprise of the season so far, I hope he keeps it up. Also, I'm starting to call Middlebrooks' at bats "must see AB's". He's heating up, and the ball just comes off his bat different. He went 2 for 3 last night, (with a walk!), but the two hits were 2 feet shy of home runs - one an out to center field at 393, and one missed the lip on the wall. Not your average 2 for 3. If he continues to develop he really is going to be something special. We'll see!
The Sox are near the top of ESPN's RPI leaderboard, and from what I've seen so far, I don't think this is an accident. While key injuries could make the lineup suspect, the team has a chance to get into - and compete in - the playoffs. They've been catching some breaks - we'll see what happens when that stops. And in baseball, it always does.
Matt