This is what we expected last winter. The Red Sox’ strong lineup would make up for any problems in the pitching rotation. Sunday’s game is a prime example-6 in the first inning, topped by Kevin Youkilis’ 3-run homer. The Brewers, a good if not great team, was suddenly looking at a 6-0 deficit in Fenway. Even with Tim Wakefield (who again gave an excellent performance) on the mound, it had to be discouraging.
It reminds me a bit of the late 50’s and early 60’s, when I first started to follow baseball. Of course, it was all Yankees. Even if a good team (which the Sox were not) came into the Bronx, often they would be hit by a 5 or 6 spot right away. If, for example, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, and Moose Skowron hit homers in the first couple of innings, the contest was pretty much over. Whether the Yankees starter was Whitey Ford, Ralph Terry, Jim Bouton, or some rookie, the man had a 6 or 7 run lead. Not only that-there was a good chance that the Yanks would score 10 or 11 runs, sometimes more. Neither the opposing pitchers nor hitters had to feel too positive about their chances to win the game.
The Bosox are showing us some of that. In their first 43 games, they failed to score 10 runs in any contest. Since then, they’ve done it 9 times. Led by Adrian Gonzales, who has been everything we expected and more, they have the second best record in baseball.
I am not saying that the present team is as intimidating as the early 60’s Yankees. Expansion and free agency has lessened the possibility of seeing a team like that again. But if the Sox continue to hit this way, they will be hard to beat.
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