Well after ripping the Sox yesterday and their supposed “ace” Josh Beckett, the true ace emerged once again, shining through for the Sox last night in Baltimore. Jon Lester has been the stopper (5 times this season stopped Sox losing streaks) for this team all season long and is living up to the billing that Peter Gammons touted when he said that Lester would be a better pitcher than Papelbon.
I know that Cliff Lee of the Indians is the front runner for the Cy Young award but I have to throw some love to the Sox young gun. Lester threw a no hitter, a beautiful shutout against the Yankees and has a 12-4 record with a 3.15 ERA. Lee’s 2.43 ERA and 17-2 record is a lot better but he’s playing for a last place team. At some point pitching for a winning club should merit a little more love. It’s like A-Rod winning the MVP for a last place Texas team. Fuck that. You’re a loser, sure you’re the best loser, but a loser all the same.
I don’t want to ignore our favorite new left fielder in all the praise. Jason Bay went yard twice and had a nice stolen base just to help fill out the stat sheet.
Let’s also mention that Jason Varitek fresh off an anal drilling in yesterday’s column hit a solo home run in the second. I really have to wonder if he reads the column. This is twice this season I’ve destroyed him in the column and he comes out the next day and gets a hit. And will someone please email Lauren and explain to her that this isn’t a slump but rather a deterioration of skills and he’s on the back 9 of his career.
The bottom line is that you beat Baltimore. They’re a cupcake team and the basement dweller in the East. The Sox are expected to beat this team. They’re also expected to beat the likes of KC, Texas, and Seattle. What they need to do is bring that same “we can beat you” mentality to games against teams with winning records.
Tampa doesn’t want to relinquish the lead in the East and it’s looking more and more like a two horse race thanks to the Yankees imploding (10 games out of first). A team with a run differential of +117 (second in MLB only to the Cubbies) shouldn’t be in second place, they should be up at least six games. It’s interesting anyways. At least long enough for us to be distracted till the Patriots season starts.
2 Comments
August 18, 2008 at 11:51 pm
Well I am/have been, solidly on the Lester bandwagon! As are all of my other Beantown Bonghitters players. The kid is sicknasty! Fear the skunkhead!
Lauren, I love you, but Tek is like whats his face(Tom Bergeron) in Major League…. a great leader and an outstanding catcher, but “can’t do shit no more” at the plate.
August 19, 2008 at 9:21 am
you forgot to mention delcarmen’s inability to get out of the 8th giving up 2 walks with paps coming in to bail him out. (even though paps gave up the 2 run double, cmon 2 walks with 2 outs???) is there anywhere a worse relief pitcher in all of baseball?
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