After every series, we'll take stock of how each individual and group performance affects their overall value.
Lineup
Daniel Nava: Nava went from hot to cold in the Jays series at the top of the lineup. Like Salty, he is has very quick hot and cold streaks.
Dustin Pedroia: The numbers were not very impressive but he is hitting. The timing seems to be back, mostly, and the power is coming along too.
David Ortiz: Big Papi continues to impress. 3 of his 5 hits in the series we home runs, bringing his OPS to 1.003.
Cody Ross: Ross wasn't as explosive as he was in the previous series, but he continues to hit. His average continues to climb closer to .300.
Adrian Gonzalez: Better late than never. Gonzo is getting back to where the Sox need him to be. Adrian drove in 5 runs in the series, with 3 coming in the final game.
Will Middlebrooks: Maybe he got a little too comfortable when Youk got traded. The bat went silent in the series, and lets hope it is very temporary.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia: Salty went 1-for-8 in the series with a solo homer in the middle game. I should re-think his value since he couldn't do a damn thing from the clean-up spot in game 1.
Mike Aviles: Mike has been bounced around the lineup and he responded well in this series. Game 3 was his highlight, with the double and pair of RBI. The Sox need him to beef up the bottom of the order.
Ryan Kalish: A better showing than the last series. He is another one that the Sox are unsure of where they want him.
The Bench: Lillibridge and Punto sucked, but Shoppach and McDonald were tolerable.
Starting Pitching
I did not like what I saw from the starters. Doubront is falling apart, Dice-K can only go 5 innings, and Lester is not as solid as he should be.
Bullpen
The only negative was Matt Albers' 2/3 of an inning in game 1, where he gave up the 2-run homer to Bautista. Other than that, the bullpen was solid again.
Managing
As long as he sits down and shuts up, I am happy.
Overall
They have not done anything to "wow" me. I am not at the point where I can have confidence that this team can win or sweep a bulk of the series for the remainder of the season. It was a nice series win, but I need to see signs of dominance.
