They say you can never have enough pitching. The Red Sox are hell bent on testing out that theory here in 2009. Yes, our current starting 5 has been a little shaky, but in the last couple of weeks they seem to be returning to form. Lester seems to be getting better with each outing. Beckett pitched a gem of a game before Pap came in and messed it all up. Daisuke Matsuzaka is back from reminding us why we hate the WBC and showing that he will return to form. Wake has been a rock star. And Brad Penny…he is even impressing me lately, which says an awful lot.
That seems like enough all on its own. But the list goes on. John Smoltz has been continuing his rehab starts through the minors. He said he feels good and like he would normally in Spring Training. He has stated he hopes to be ready to pitch for the Sox in the middle of June. It’s May 26th today, so that is not far away at all. John Smoltz people!
Let’s not forget our boys pitching up a storm in the minor leagues. Michael Bowden who we got to see for a few innings of relief pitching early in the year has been getting it done with the PawSox. He has a 2-2 record with a 1.64 ERA.
And, to the heart of this entry…we have Clay Buchholz. We know I am a fan. His stat line so far with the PawSox: a 3-0 record, a 1.30 ERA, 49 Ks over just over 48 innings pitched.
Clay got the start in yesterday’s Memorial Day game. Clay held a no hitter until the 9th inning over Louisville until Danny Richar had to be a buzz kill and get a single off our until then perfect Buch. He ended up with a complete shutout game, 1 hitter, throwing 96 pitches, K-ing 7 batters.
Of course, flirting with a no-no is nothing new for Clay. He pitched a no hitter in September of 2007 when he was up with the Red Sox. He was the first Red Sox rookie in history to ever throw a no hitter. Clay reported that he was disappointed that he was not able to get those last 3 outs without allowing a hit. What Clay should be disappointed about is that he is still stuck down in the minors given how he is pitching. They said his control was SO good yesterday that only went to a 3 ball count ONCE.
So, that is our starting pitching….and I haven’t even mentioned our bullpen which is the best in the business. Yes, you can never have too much pitching…I agree. However, it does raise some interesting questions:
What will the starting 5 be when John Smoltz is active and ready to go in a few weeks? Who is the odd man…or more likely odd men…out?
With Buchholz pitching like he is in AAA, how long before he gets called up? And if so, how is room made for him?
Are there pitching trades which are going to be made in order to get some of the position players we desire? If so, who? We’ve heard rumors of Buchholz, Manny Delcarmen and even Brad Penny.
Would Boston ever consider a 6 man rotation?
What is the likelihood of everyone on the pitching staff staying healthy throughout the course of the season?
I still say…with our pitching depth and the questions it raises, it is a still a GREAT PROBLEM TO HAVE!
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