Well Wednesday's game certainly was eventful, but in the end, the Red Sox eeked out a victory over the struggling Twins. For the second time in the series Alfredo Aceves came on to get the save and made it more than interesting, but he was able to secure the victory, and the Sox have themselves a 3-game winning streak.
I actually thought after Monday and Tuesday, the Sox had taken a big step. They had pitched well, hit the ball on the screws, and were taking it to a team they should be beating. Wednesday however seemed to be a step backwards. The bullpen pitched well enough in all three games, but Wednesday it just didn't seem like they had the same confidence as earlier in the week. The scariest moment of the series by far was when Justin Thomas hit Chris Parmelee in the helmet with a fastball in the 6th inning. It was very obvious that Thomas was incredibly shaken up by this, and even said after the game that there was absolutely no intention and that he hopes Parmelee is alright.
The biggest bright spot of the series was the Red Sox are finally starting to score runs like they have been expected to. While the pitching was good enough, it's still not where it needs to be. Beckett was effective, but 5 strikeouts with 3 walks over 6 innings isn't exactly going to get the job done on a consistent basis. Lester didn't fair any better, he walked and struck out 4 each over 7 innings while giving up 5 earned runs. Buccholz was by far the least ineffective of the three starters. He lasted 5.1 innings, gave up 5 earned runs, walked 3 and only struck out 2. This kind of starting pitching from the front three of the rotation is concerning. Lester typically starts slow, so I'm not terribly worried about him, and while Beckett may not be striking out as many hitters as he has in the past, he does seem to be hitting his spots. Buccholz is by far the most concerning of the three. His velocity is down from last year and he isn't finding the strikezone.
In total, the Red Sox outscored the Twins 24-11 in the series, but the games on Monday and Wednesday were decided by a single run. Monday's game saw Daniel Bard make his first (and hopefully not last) relief appearance and Cody Ross ended up being the hero. Ross belted two home runs, one of which came in the 9th inning which proved to be the game winning run. Aceves gave up a bomb of a fly ball that would have probably been a home run in most parks, but thankfully for Boston fans, it was caught. While the bullpen did come through in all three games, I'd be lying if I said I still wasn't concerned. Aceves did earn 2 saves in three games and didn't give up any runs, but he sure seems to like to provide drama. I did think it was strange that Bobby Valentine brought Bard in to get 2 outs in the 8th inning, but pulled him in favor of Aceves for the 9th. Whatever though, it worked, and it actually earned Bard his first victory of the season.
The Sox are now off to Chicago to face the White Sox. Felix Doubront will take the mound Thursday facing Philip Humber, who threw a perfect game in his last start. While the Pale Hose aren't an intimidating team, they do have a winning record. If Boston can sweep this series as well, they'll head back to Fenway with a winning record, which sure would be a nice welcome home present.
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