Three Down, 15 to Go

For awhile tonight I was convinced that I was going to be using the same unoriginal headline 6,038 other publications across the globe would be using. "No Dice" is what I had in my head because I was convinced that somehow the Red Sox bats would come up a little short just like they have in the last two Matsuzaka sightings. However, in the bottom of the third the four guys shown above set a new Boston Red Sox record by hitting back to back to back to back home runs off of Yankee's rookie starter Chase Wright.

I was over at my fiance's apartment losing my ever loving mind as this was going on. I haven't had that much fun (or as surprised) while watching a baseball game on TV since the Sox came back and beat the Yankee's in Game 4 of the ALCS in '04. Anyway, I was growing a little tired and impatient with the Sox having to play come from behind ball all weekend. Spotting the Yankee's a two run lead three games in a row is probably not your best option as they are arguably the most potent current lineup in all of baseball. Somehow Boston found a way to come back and win to take the first series against the Bronx Bombers in a sweep at Fenway. Tonight, on manager Terry Francona's 48th birthday, Manny Ramirez, JD Drew, Mike Lowell, and Jason Veritek each hit solo home runs. The last time one pitcher gave up four straight was in 1963 when Paul Foytack of the Los Angeles (California) Angles gave up the goods against the Cleveland Indians. As you can see, it doesn't happen all that often. Credit to the middle of the line up and partial credit to Yankee's skipper Joe Torre for not pulling Wright. Tonight wasn't the only time the bats of Boston abused the Pinstriper's. Over the course of the weekend series Boston went through 16 Yankee pitching changes. The big concern I have amid all the excitement of sweeping the Yanks at home for the first time since I was 10, is the fact that the Sox only outscored them by four runs (21-17) while 80% of New York's starting ro' is sidelined with injury. Adding to this point, the Sox threw everything they could at that vaunted line up in Schilling, Beckett, and Matsuzaka and still narrowly escaped with three straight. The bullpen had to stop most of the bleeding and Jonathan Papelbon looked amazing yesterday afternoon and tonight. Hopefully when they travel down to the house of pain next weekend they don't show this fault and can correct some of the mistakes that were concealed for the most part the past three days.

Speaking of Papleban, so far in the month of April he has looked absolutely brilliant and is quickly establishing himself as a premier closer in the bigs. If he keeps this up over the course of the next couple of seasons I'll have no problem tagging him as the best closer in the game. Yes, ahead of K-Rod and ahead of Joe Nathan. Of course I'm biased and I think the other two pitchers I've mentioned are absolutely magnificent, but JP's velocity is so out of this world when he throws his splitter (his splitter, folks) so Goddamn hard that the bottom completely falls out from under it. Not that he is the first to accomplish this with scary results, but the mark of a true great closer is when you have a lead and when the 9th rolls around you KNOW it's over for the other team. He brings it to the table in spades when the game is on the line. Even against the heart of the Yankee's lineup. Back to his pitching, tracking his fastball is about as hard as finding a needle in a baseball stadium blindfolded. When you average 97 miles an hour on your fastball, have complete control over it, and move it that's all you can ask for. Batters eventually will catch up with a guy's stuff they've seen over and over again, but fast is fast and when timing is everything for hitters, having the ability to mix it up and control it like he can? I'll just say this, look for Papelbon to dominate throughout his career. Above everything he brings to the mound in raw pitching ability and pure pitching mechanics, is the intangible. This guy fucking fears no one. A-Rod? The guy is batting .370 something with 12 dingers and 31 batted in and off to one of the best starts in history. I should know, I only heard about it 722 times this weekend. Most pitchers in their right mind would not come at him. What did Papelbon do with A-Rod at the plate as the go ahead run? He pitched right at him, got up 0-2 in the count and forced him into a fielder's choice to end the game. Not only that final out today but he also pitched right at clutch hitters Derek Jeter, Johnny Damon, and Bobby Abreu (even though he walked him tonight) and got them out. Two days in a row.

Now that I'm done with all the pub on the team's closer, I'll end with this. Boston is off to a hot start, that much is obvious, but they always kinda do that anyway. Their starting pitching looks solid, the bullpen is rock solid, and if the bats stay hot and injuries are minimal (I'm looking at you JD Drew) it should be a great season (and please God, a great 2nd half too) and hopefully an even better post season. April is fun and full of optimism, but it's encouraging when your team looks as good as this.