Photo: AP
Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
But no. He’s fine. That was made quite clear after yesterday’s debacle, beginning with Bobby Valentine: “The good news is that he felt good,” said the winless Red Sox manager. “And he’ll just work on that, build on that somehow.
“Talking to Josh, he said it felt fine,” said Valentine of Beckett’s thumb. “He said it felt fine after the fourth and he said it felt fine in the sixth when I talked to him, and then he told the trainers after the game he felt fine.”
Fine, then.
“They’re really good hitters but I think Josh can get them out,” said Valentine. “I believe in Josh, when he’s, you know, making his pitches. He didn’t think he was making his pitches today.”
Beckett told reporters what he told Valentine.
“The thumb’s not an issue,” he said. “Physically I felt great.”
Fine. Great. Same thing.
[...]
It’s not exactly a news flash that the big problem with Beckett yesterday was location, location location.
“Too many pitches in the middle of the plate,” said Beckett, who didn’t need crib notes in order to rattle off the location of the five home run pitches he served up: “One changeup . . . cutter . . . two sinkers and a fastball.
Herald: Josh Beckett effort not 'fine' for Sox
Another typical even-numbered year start for Josh Beckett. He didn't seem to be missing his location much during spring training. I'll just make the excuse that it was colder than he was used to pitching in during spring training. I'll continue to tell myself that and be hopeful that he can redeem himself this Friday.
We should be relieved that it was just crappy pitching that happened last night and the thumb had no impact. Some of you would probably feel better if the thumb was an issue. He is going to have another tough test on Friday when the Rays come to town for the Sox home opener.
Related: Globe: Thumbs down for Beckett; but the thumb not to blame
On Page 2, those same Rays have given the Yankees an 0-2 start.
"It hasn't really gone the way we would have liked for it to," Yankees right fielder Nick Swisher said. "But, hey, that's the name of the game. We just got to keep battling, keep fighting, stick together as a team because we're going to do a lot of special things."
Left-hander David Price (1-0) allowed two runs and five hits over 6 1-3 innings to win for the first time since Aug. 28. The two-time All-Star walked four and struck out five.
"Price was really on his game.," Swisher said. "I feel like we've got a great team, and we've got to come here tomorrow and we've got to start proving that."
Globe: Yankees lose 8-6 to Rays, fall to 0-2
Normally, this would make me feel better, but the damn Rays are screwing it all up. They had to get good and become a contender and ruin the reign of Sox/Yankees in the AL East.
Ok, I still feel some joy in the Yankees also starting 0-2.
The rest of the links:
Globe: Red Sox coverage in today's Globe | Game 3: Red Sox at Tigers | Are fat baseball players a problem? | For starters, this Red Sox defeat looked a lot like September | Herald: Sox wait for hits to arrive | WEEI: Red Sox prospect Henry Owens strikes quickly | Sunday's Red Sox - Tigers matchups: Clay Buchholz vs. Max Scherzer | CSNNE: Sox offense 'not working' | Wheels come off for Beckett
