Saturday, July 23, 2011 - I posted a blog stating that the Red Sox need pitching, not Carlos Beltran. In fact, I called for Matt Garza to be brought in and bolster this rotation. At the time, Garza was 4-7 for the Chicago Cubs. His ERA was 3.80 with 110 k's, opponents batting .248 against him and his WHIP was 1.31. The Red Sox took my advice... sort of. They did not acquire Carlos Beltran (thank God) but did acquire Eric Bedard. Eric Bedard? Really?
Since the 23rd of July Matt Garza has won 4 games, dropped 3, now with an 8-10 record. Once again, I must remind you all that this is taking place in Chicago. Since that time, he has managed to bring his ERA down from 3.80 to 3.51. He has added 69 more k's, for a total of 179. Opponents are batting .249 against him and his WHIP is 1.29. Nothing much has changed. He's been a steady, reliable pitcher for the Cubs, kind of what the Red Sox needed to add to their rotation.
Since coming to Boston, Eric Bedard has started 6 games (32 innings) for the Red Sox. His record is 1-2 with a 3.66 ERA. Opponents are hitting .256 against him and his WHIP is 1.38 with 32 k's. There is a key point I would like to make here that reflects directly on the reliability of Bedard. As I just mentioned, he has started 6 games for Boston: a total of 32 innings pitched. That averages out to 5 1/3 innings pitched per outing. Barely getting into the 5th is NOT what the Sox were hoping to get from their pitching staff.
For a completely fair comparison - I neglected to post the 1 game Bedard pitched in Seattle after my July 23rd post and before being traded. He pitched on the 29th for 1.1 innings against Tampa Bay. He gave up 3 hits and 5 runs. I am actually being kind not bringing that into the argument - but it is worth mentioning before I move forward - as this was the last game he played before going on the 15 day DL.
Matt Garza, since July 23rd has started in 11 games. He has pitched 73 innings and that averages out to 6 2/3 innings per outing. Simple deductive reasoning states: deeper into the game means less wear and tear on your bullpen. Less wear and tear means they will be healthier for a longer run. Healthier pitchers for a longer run means more likely to be deeper in the playoffs.
Where do we sit right now? The Red Sox are strapped with injuries, losing their once firm grip on the Wild Card. Their pitching staff is showing signs of age and lack of conditioning. Their farm system is obviously not as deep as it is billed to be. There is plenty of blame to go around and fingers to point if this ship does indeed sink. I think the first finger needs to be pointed at Theo Epstein. His shortsightedness has been a major reason this team is flailing in the wind, hoping to be able to grasp onto the Wild Card. Then, as it stands, they get to run their tired, depleted team into Detroit and get sliced up by (Cy Young, MVP to be) Justin Verlander and Co.
As I stated the other day; the season is not over yet. I do think the Red Sox will manage to win the American League Wild Card; I'm just not sure it will do them any good.
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