After every series, we'll take stock of how each individual and group performance affects their overall value.
Offense
Ryan Sweeney: Ryan started the series off strong in game 1, then fell back down to where he started. He continues to impress, it is only a little more sporadic than a month ago.
Daniel Nava: He complied a bunch of 1-hitters, and the 1 hit in the second game off of Verlander was huge. Aside from that, there were some missed opportunities that hurt his cause.
Adrian Gonzalez: Gonzo continues to hover around the .270 mark as we anxiously await his breakout series. Thumbs up for this outfield play.
David Ortiz: Big Papi batted a nice .467 in the series with a pair of homers and 5 RBI. His average is back on the rise after a little slump.
Kevin Youkilis: You have to like what Youk is bringing to the table since his return. In the 9 games since returning to the team, Youk is batting .313 with 2 homers, 2 double, and 3 RBI. Those numbers won't blow you off of your seat, but they are much better than his April numbers.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia: Salty had one of his best series of the season, going 5-for-11, with 2 homers and 3 RBI. It is nice to look forward to his at-bats.
Mike Aviles: Aviles had a slightly above average series, going 5-for-16 with 3 RBI. Nothing to rave about.
Nick Punto: Watching Punto in 4 straight games, even with a shortened appearance in the first game, is painful. His defense could never make up for his lack of offensive ability to do anything.
The Bench: Everyone who played in 2 games or less looked good. Podsednik, Middlebrooks, Byrd, and Shoppach (only for his catching). We'll throw Pedey's 1-for-3 before his exit from game 1 in there. Middlebrooks stands out above them all, especially with the rocket of a home run hit on Wednesday.
Starting Pitching
Doubront gave the Sox the best start in the series, but it wasn't great. Bard battled through his 5 1/3 and held the Tigers back so the Sox could do their damage to Verlander. Lester claimed to have his best stuff and Beckett did not, yet they threw up similar numbers. All 4 starts were just average, if not slightly less.
Bullpen
The bullpen looked good, aside from Aceves in game 1 and the Morales/Hill combo in game 4. Aceves had a big cushion, so the damage was a non-factor, and Morales and Hill let a deficit grow that may not have been diminished. I did like the rest of it and they are all still pitching very well as a group.
Managing
Bobby had to do a lot of shuffling with the lineup and it worked. Things are clicking.
Overall
Sweeping a 4-game series is extremely difficult, no matter who you play. Taking 3-of-4 from the Tigers is pretty damn good, even against a struggling Detroit team. Hopefully the momentum was not broken after last night's loss and the Sox can take it into Toronto.
