A stopper – where?

Last week I wrote that the Sox needed a “certfied stopper” like Pedro Martinez. Right now, they have no stopper, certified or otherwise. By my definition, a stopper is a man who starts after a loss and hurls a quality start. Even if he is not the winning pitcher, his work leads directly to a win.

I’ll leave Clay Buchholz alone this week. I’ve written enough about him. But during the Oriole series, Jon Lester had a chance and blew it. He entered the fourth inning of game 1 with a 3-1 lead. For a stopper, that should be enough. He should go 6 or 7 innings and keep the lead. Instead, Lester gave it up right away. Adam Jones-walk. Matt Wieters- a triple to score Jones. Wilson Betemit- a single to score Wieters. Tie game, without even recording an out. Lester did not allow another run in his 6-inning stint, but the damage was done. The injury-plagued Sox lineup got just one more tally and lost in 16 innings.

It’s easy to like Lester. He is always polite, never controversial. He says the right things. As a young pitcher, he survived cancer. He has thrown a no-hitter. He was the winning pitcher in the final game of the 07 World Series. He was the Sox opening day hurler this year. But his stats are barely average- 1-2, 4.62, 37 innings, 33 hits, and a staff-leading 17 walks.

The stopper’s role should not fall to Felix Doubront, Daniel Bard, or Aaron Cook. With Josh Beckett having a rather strange shoulder problems and Buchholz with an 8.69 ERA, Lester has to be the man.