Sox Pitching – Question Marks

Much has been written recently about the Red Sox starting rotation. It is true that, unlike most teams, only 5 hurlers have been used. The pitchers have 26 quality starts, among the best in baseball. Recently, in series victories over Oakland, Cincinnati and Texas, Jon Lester, John Lackey, Felix Doubront, Jake Peavy and Clay Buchholz contributed 6 QS’s as the team won 6 of 8. The team ERA, with a strong contribution from the bullpen, currently stands at a good-though not great-3.79.

A few problems appear, however. After Lester and Lackey, the number 3 to 5 men have been maddeningly inconsistent. After a fine effort against Oakland (6 1/3, 1 ER), Buchholz was slammed for 8 runs in a defeat at Texas. His ERA stands at 6.44, and he seems far from the hurler who was 12-0 in 2013 before being injured. After a quality start against the Reds, Peavy allowed 6 runs in 4 1/3 in Minnesota. HIs ERA has fallen to 3.94 and he is high in homers and walks allowed. Doubront has done well in his last two outings, but has always been erratic.

The fact remains that after Lester, who is among the top AL ERA leaders, every starter is a bit of a question mark. Lackey has seemingly made an excellent recovery form Tommy John, but is it permanent? Peavy, like Lester in a contract year, is past his hard-throwing days in San Diego. It remains to be seen who the real Buchholz is, with his well-documented ups and downs. Doubront sometimes to be on the verge of stardom, then relapses. Age is also a factor. When Bucky turns 30 this summer, Doubront will be the only starter still in his 20’s.

It helps that the Sox are hitting better in the clutch, and the team finally has 5 regulars over the .260 mark. It was good to see them hit Twins pitching hard in successive nights, though one game was eventually lost. But they are not a team that can power its way into the postseason. David Ortiz has looked like Miguel Cabrera the last two nights, but it is doubtful that he can continue at that pace.

Let us not forget that Allen Webster, Rubby De La Rosa and Brandon Workman are waiting in the wings. Before the year is over, this writer feels that at least one of them will have to join the rotation. The future of the staff remains  uncertain.