Ted's Army: The Voice of Red Sox fans

Webster struggles, Twins blowout Sox 15-8

What started out as a promising, classic battle of offenses, turned into an absolute pitching debacle. Unfortunately, the Red Sox were on the wrong end tonight.

Allen Webster was promoted from the minors again, hoping to follow up his previous encouraging start. This was also considered to be a possible test to see if he may be a suitable replacement for Felix Doubront. Everything started out great, as he struck out Twins' lead-off hitter Jamey Carroll on three pitches. However, that was pretty much the highlight of Webster's night. The wheels came off and all of a sudden, Webster allowed eight earned runs in one and two-thirds innings. Not a promising start for Webster, who will surely be headed to Pawtucket to further work out the kinks.

The man who was originally scheduled to start, Doubront, came on in mop-up duty; yet he didn't quite do himself any favors. His final line: twelve hits, six earned runs, two walks, and four strikeouts in five and a third-innings. I realize that the game was pretty much out of hand at this point, but Doubront could have been on a mission to earn his keep in the rotation. Rather, he laid an egg and looked like he could care less about it. Very discouraging to see from a youngster.

The offense was encouraging in the first inning, as they battled back from a 4-0 deficit. Shane Victorinio's bunt single, followed by Dustin Pedroia's single and Mike Napoli's walk, loaded the bases for Jonny Gomes. Gomes has struggled thus far and has lost playing time as a result. However, he may have earned some further opportunites as he cleared the bases with a grand slam to tie it up. Stephen Drew drove in another run and gave the Sox the 5-4 lead.

But again, it came down to the pitching and this game got away quick. This was certainly a game the Red Sox hope to move on from and hope that Allen Webster can regain his confidence.

The Sox wrap up this series with the Twins tomorrow. John Lackey takes the mound for the home team and opposes Kevin Correia. First pitch is at 7:10pm.

BOXSCORE

Your Morning Dump... Where Doubront had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad night

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.

We’re talking, of course, about the weak link in the Red Sox rotation, Felix Doubront, and his inevitable replacement, Allen Webster.

It may not happen this week or this month, but it will happen. Performances like last night’s in a 7-0 loss to the Rangers just reinforce why Doubront simply cannot remain a long-term member of a rotation that has designs on pitching deep into October.

For all the talk of the 25-year-old Doubront’s great stuff, there’s more to baseball than the occasional swing and miss, particularly now that his fastball has dropped from last year’s 95-96 mph to a disconcerting 90 or 91. Even teams with bullpens as deep as the Red Sox’ want their starters reaching the seventh inning, and Doubront simply has not grasped this concept.

Herald - Web will snare Felix

I have no great love for Felix Doubront.  The Sox could trade him tomorrow and I'd shrug my shoulders and carry on with my day.  But this overreaction to last night's admittedly God-awful performance is slightly annoying.

Before last night, he had been pitching about as well as you could expect him to.  He went 6 2/3 inning in both of his previous two starts, giving up 3 runs in each game, while striking out 8 in both.  Of course, he walked 9 batters between the two starts, and they were against Houston and Oakland, so it wasn't all roses. 

The big knock on Doubront is that he simply allows too many baserunners; which is a legit concern.  When he's not walking people (which is rare) he's giving up hits.  Now, Felix has a knack for not allowing the plethora of baserunners he lets on to cross home, but that's not something a team can rely on.

If Allen Webster (or anyone else) gives the Sox a better chance to win than Doubront, let's bring him up.  I won't complain.  But let's not act like Doubront - who we were all pleasantly surprised with last season - is suddenly not a Major League talent based on one terrible, terrible, awful, bad game.  The fastball is a concern, but even with the lower velocity he's been essentially the same pitcher this season as he was last.  Or maybe it's just that all this winning has changed our expectations.

Rest of the links:

Herald - Get to crux of the data | WEEI - Red Sox minor league roundup | Closing Time: Derek Holland baffles Red Sox, leads Rangers to win | Globe - Red Sox lost 7-0 at Texas as Doubront struggles | Doubront in search of his lost fastball | CSNNE - Rangers smoke Red Sox, 7-0 | McAdam: Buchholz continues to get accused of doctoring

Your Morning Dump...Where it's part 2 of Lackey's return

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.

Three weeks after he walked off the mound with what appeared to be a serious injury, John Lackey is ready to give it another shot.

The righthander will start against the Houston Astros at Fenway Park on Sunday afternoon having recovered from the biceps strain that ended his first start of the season on April 6.

[...]

“I’ll go until they tell me to stop,” Lackey said Saturday.

Farrell said the Red Sox have an idea of what Lackey can give him. The stress of the outing will factor into that.

Lackey said his biceps feels fine and that he’s eager to get going again.

“We’ll see what happens. I’m hoping for five [innings],” he said.

Globe: John Lackey ready to go again for Sox

I am not sure about any of you, but the return of John Lackey, scares the shit out of me.

If Lackey does go 5 and gives up 4 or less runs, I think we could call that a positive outing. I fear the outcome this afternoon.

On Page 2, Doubront "flipped the switch"

Recap: Red Sox pounce on Jimenez, ride out 7-2 win

Boston got its first sporting distraction since the Marathon bombing as the Red Sox went to Cleveland and beat the Indians soundly, 7-2.

First, the game stuff: It was a weird one. The pitching was all over the place. Ubaldo Jimenez got scorched for Cleveland, registering his second-shortest career outing after walking five batters and allowing all seven Boston runs in an inning and a third. The walks continued with the bullpen, despite the fact that Cleveland managed to keep the Sox off the scoreboard further, as Indians relievers combined for four more walks. 

On the other hand, the Indians pitchers managed to make Boston hitters miss, striking out a whopping 16 batters in total, including Daniel Nava four times. (Nava's OPS is down to a paltry 1.087.)

On the Sox side, Felix Doubront struggled more than his box score would indicate. He struck out seven batters over five innings, but walked four and gave up two runs on four hits. Most importantly, Doubront continues to be inefficient. It took him 104 pitches to get through five innings, and his 5th inning was very shaky. This forced John Farrell to use Clayton Mortensen and Alex Wilson for two innings each, putting some pressure on Alfredo Aceves to at least be serviceable tomorrow (not a sure thing, obviously).

Mike Napoli continued his hot hitting, getting two of the Sox' six hits, and driving in three runs on a double in the 2nd. Also of note: Jonny Gomes singled and walked three times in four plate appearances.

For non-game stuff, there were Boston tributes across the majors tonight. At Progressive Field, the Red Sox and Indians both wore black armbands, and the Indians held a moment of silence before the game. The Red Sox printed off a jersey reading Boston Strong with the number 617 that they hung in the dugout. Meanwhile, the Indians played Sweet Caroline during warmups, as did several teams throughout the league (including the Yankees after the 3rd inning in their game). While the game was a welcome distraction, it was clear that teams and players across the league wanted to recognize what had happened.

Box score

Image via @redsox

Your Morning Dump...Where Pedro plays teacher

Matthew J Lee/Boston Globe

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.

For the first time since 2004, we saw Pedro Martinez in Red Sox garb yesterday down in Fort Myers...this time as a teacher.

Make no mistake about it: Having Martinez around also makes for a warm and fuzzy reminder of the good old days, and he brought smiles to the couple of thousand snowbirds who milled about the complex yesterday, watching the 2013 Red Sox prepare for the upcoming season.

But while baseball history is dotted with faded legends who were squeezed into uniforms for no other reason than to sell tickets — such as Babe Ruth coaching for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1938 — that isn’t why Pedro Martinez is here.

He’s back because the Red Sox believe it would be a tragedy not to utilize Pedro Martinez as a teacher.

“I can’t handle the fact that I have all this knowledge inside me,” Martinez said during the half-hour he spent with the media. “I would love to give it away. I hope they use me as an example of hard work and dedication and will to do things.”

Herald: Pedro Martinez perfect addition to staff

I know when Martinez was first hired as a special assistant to the GM, many wondered whethter this was yet another marketing ploy by the Luchhino and his minions. Usually, I'd be the first in line to complain about such a marketing-driven move. However, hiring Martinez was simply a smart baseball decision.

It goes without saying that Martinez is one of the greatest pitchers in MLB history. Why wouldn't you want a guy like that teaching a ballclub's youngsters?

Felix Doubront, Daniel Bard, and Rubby De La Rosa already received some instruction from Martinez. It was reported that Doubront seemed to receive some extra attention, given his role in the rotation this year and the fact he showed up to camp out of shape. It must be pretty cool for these guys to say that the great Pedro Martinez taught me. That's something that will stick with them forever.

Unless we start seeing Martinez handing out 15% off coupons to the Souvenir Store on Yawkey Way with a big smile on his face, this is not a marketing move. This is a pure baseball move that can only benefit the future of the Red Sox.

Globe: Red Sox put all the blame on Bobby Valentine | Globe: Jose Iglesias gets an education from Dustin Pedroia | Herald: Future centers around Jackie Bradley Jr. | Projo: Nava getting his feet wet at first

Your Morning Dump... Where we look at 2/5 of the rotation

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.

After making his final start of last season, on Sept. 29 in Baltimore, Felix Doubront finally conceded what everyone had suspected for weeks.

He was tired.

There wasn’t any shame in that admission. Despite taking a two-week breather in August, Doubront made 29 starts and logged 161 innings, 731⁄3 more than he threw in an injury-filled 2011 and 312⁄3 more than his previous career high, set in the minor leagues in 2008.

And so, with Red Sox pitchers and catchers gathering in Fort Myers next week, it will be worth wondering whether Doubront may experience any residual effect from such a greatly increased workload.

Herald - Felix Doubront rested, ready to go

Ben touched on this very topic last week after Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci unveiled his Year-After Effect list for this upcoming season. 

It is cause for concern, but as Farrell states in the article above, Doubront will be monitored; same as every other pitcher.  Farrell also said that the 30 inning increase is a "normal progression", and I'll trust that Farrell knows what he's talking about here.

It's also worth noting that while Doubront was tired at the end of last season, it didn't seem to impact his performance on the mound.  In his last four starts of the season he threw 26+ innings, struck out 31 batters, allowed only 16 hits while posting an ERA of 3.08.  And he did this against the Yankees, Rays and Baltimore twice.

As long as he comes to camp in good shape, I don't think there's much to fret over here.  And if something does happen, and Doubront needs to be shut down for a while?  Who are we going to--STOP!  Let's not go down that road.  It's Saturday morning.  No need to ruin your entire weekend.

Doubront is going to be just fine.  Carry on.

On Page 2, Farrell checks in with Lackey.

Your Morning Dump...where we hope the Year-After Effect doesn't affect Doubront

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.

Tom Verducci, the excellent baseball writer for Sports Illustrated, has his annual story on the Year-After Effect out today.

Verducci lists those young (25 and under) pitchers whose innings increased by 30 or more from their previous professional high. Based on protocols established by Rick Peterson and Verducci's years of tracking the data, these pitchers are in danger of injury or regression.

Red Sox lefty Felix Doubront is on the list. He threw 31.2 innings more than his previous high.

Does this mean Doubront will get injured or pitch poorly? Obviously not. But it does mean he bears watching.

Globe: A red flag for Doubront? 

If you haven't read Verducci's Year-After Effect, please do. It's a good read. It also reminds us that we're in the era of coddling young pitchers, making sure that they don't over do it and so they will hopefully turn out to be workhorses in the prime of their career.  

Now as far as Felix is concerned, he just makes it on this list by throwing 31 2/3 more than his previous high, so it's not a major cause for concern as say the White Sox with Chris Sale who nearly tripled his previous career high. Plus the Red Sox are one of the teams that are usually very conservative with their pitchers, so they will be watching Doubront very closely. Ben Cherington feels confident in Felix and that he'll be a strong guy in the back of the rotation. 

A good thing for Doubront would be for him to come into Spring Training into great shape, just like he did last year. Also with Franklin Morales & Alfredo Aceves hoping to crack the rotation, there is plenty of motivation for him to keep his spot. I don't think that Doubront will be regressing this year. I believe he'll throw the same amount of innings this season and even had a sub-4.00 ERA. He just needs another pitch to go along with that curveball and he should be good to go this season.

Globe:  With Smoak, is there fire? | Herald: Napoli hip condition means Sox continue search | CSNNE: Youk giving Joba the silent treatment | WEEI: Complex legacy| Sox sign Napoli, DFA Carpenter

Your Morning Dump...where Felix Doubront is hard to evaluate

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.

Doubront was borderline dominant for six innings, limiting the Rays to just one hit and striking out five while allowing three runs. His command was once again periodically an issue — he walked five — but outside of the third inning, he held the playoff-hungry Rays in check.

“I just want to finish strong,” Doubront said. “I think for now I’m getting back my confidence. Today, just one tough inning and I handled that and came back doing the best I can, and gave the guys an opportunity to score and win the game. That was pretty important for me.”

His final line would’ve been even better, but he walked the bases loaded in the third before Ben Zobrist plated two with a single to center. An Evan Longoria sacrifice fly then completed Tampa Bay’s scoring.

Still, Doubront delivered his second straight quality start, and he recorded his first victory in exactly two months. His last win came on July 18 against the White Sox.

Herald | Felix Doubront aims to finish strong

Borderline dominant? I don't think so, Tomase.

Five walks is five walks is five walks. I would rather see five hits and one walk over six than one hit and five walks. But something about the "1" in the H column looks impressive.

Doubront was not impressive. He's too unsteady, he loses focus, he throws a million pitches every game, and he works so slowly that he puts the entire team to sleep. 

The coverage of Doubront is all over the place this morning. Tomase calls him "borderline dominant", the ESPN headline said he "battle[d]", and the Globe is somewhere in between.

What it comes down to is that Doubront is a bit hard to evaluate. He throws a good fastball and shows the stuff of a productive pitcher at times. But we have an entire season sample that says he can't find the plate. He also tires around 50 pitches seemingly every start; this start he recovered and threw good innings 4-6, but he hits the same road block every time out there.

If Doubront is going to be a good pitcher long-term, he needs to find some control, and he needs to find some stamina. Will that happen in Boston? Hard to say. On the one hand, he's a cheap, young arm; a rare commodity around here. On the other, does he show the upside to warrant being a project on a team that is expecting to turn around and contend in 2013?

On page 2, his potential '13 rotation-mate John Lackey is making progress.

Recap: Bullpen holds lead for Sox' second straight win over Tampa

After a shaky start from Felix Doubront and a shakier relief appearance from Clayton Mortensen, four Sox relievers combined to hold down the Rays and push them further out of the playoff picture. 

Andrew Bailey got his fifth save of the year while Craig Breslow got the hold. Breslow was perfect and Bailey allowed just one walk to keep the Rays off the board.

For the second straight game the Sox got to the Rays' starter early and ran him from the game. Jeremy Hellickson lasted just four innings, giving up three runs on five hits and two walks. He did strike out seven, and his curveball froze a number of batters (Jose Iglesias most memorably), but it would be a stretch to consider him as dominant as seven K's in four innings sounds. He did look better than Alex Cobb last night.

Felix Doubront did his usual "pitch decently for a couple innings or so and then walk everybody" routine, although he did manage to pitch six reasonable innings, only giving up one hit to go with his five walks. I still don't see him as a viable part of this rotation long-term. Some commentary has talked about Doubront pitching well except for the third inning, but I have trouble agreeing; when he's shaky like that, it's hard to trust that he'll throw strikes.

The offense spread the wealth, as everyone other than Dustin Pedroia and Jose Iglesias snagged at least one hit. Ryan Lavarnway's two-run double in the 7th proved decisive and will hopefully provide some confidence for the struggling youngster (provided Bobby V doesn't pinch-hit for him next time he's in a similar spot).

This was a brutal game to watch, and if you're reading this you likely managed to avoid it. Congratulations. It was horribly long, with 13 pitchers making appearances. Hellickson and Doubront each moved at a Beckettian pace. Meanwhile, the game was at Tropicana Field, so my eyes began to get itchy due to my allergy to terrible stadiums.

The picture above (from the Rays' Facebook page), by the way, includes an image of the horrendous t-shirts the 12 Rays fans were wearing in the crowd. Leave it to Tampa's AAA-like marketing team to come up with yet another way to make Tropicana the most odious place to play. That place needs to be blown up, along with every dumb t-shirt and cowbell and whatever else they come up with. Sure, we have to put up with Sweet Caroline, but at least we have a beautiful park to look at.

Box score

Your Morning Dump...Where the Sox have sole possession of last place

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.

Daisuke Matsuzaka was tagged for five runs in 1 1-3 innings and the Toronto Blue Jays jumped over the Red Sox in the AL East with a 9-2 win on Saturday night in a game twice delayed by rain for a total of 2 hours, 3 minutes.

Like his teammates, this season has been disappointing for Matsuzaka, who began the year late after ulnar collateral surgery last season.

"Honestly I don't know if I'll wear this Red Sox uniform next year," he said. "It's been an honor to wear this Red Sox uniform. I don't know what next year will bring, but it hasn't been (hard)."

It was his second straight rough start. He gave six runs in 3 2-3 innings in a loss at Oakland on Sept. 2.

"I'm real disappointed that I haven't been able to be there for the team the past two games," he said. "I'm real frustrated that I haven't been consistent."

Matsuzaka (1-5) took the loss, lasting just four outs and giving up five runs and five hits. He is in the final year of a six-year, $52 million contract.

"Even with the expanded rosters, to keep asking what you're asking out of the bullpen it seems like it's every night, it's tiring," Boston manager Bobby Valentine said. "Guys are tired of playing from behind, I'll guarantee that. The bullpen is tired of just eating up innings. It's tough. It's tough."

Globe: Red Sox in AL East cellar with 9-2 loss to Toronto

The 2012 Red Sox are becoming the girlfriend that is just awful, and you are waiting to figure out the right time to break up with her. It's not you, it's me. Actually, it's them.

I know it may seem lazy to say, "There is not much more to say about this team", but it is the truth. No one cares or wants to talk about them. Most of us are itching for football.

As far as Dice-K's status, his time in Boston is nearing it's end. He cannot contribute anything other than a random good start that happens once every 3 months. The Red Sox would be foolish to bring him back.

On Page 2, Doubront may be shutdown for the rest of the season.