John Lackey Notches First Win as a Red Sox

Sox Back on Winning Track, but Baard/Bullpen still Shaky.

John Lackey went 6 2/3 innings while allowing two runs, both earned to grab his first victory as a member of the Red Sox. After going six shut-out innings in his first start, but having the bats disappear, the bats made backed him up in his first away performance.

The Sox got some much needed offensive help from Dustin Pedroia who is coming to be known as "ol' reliable" for the sox (2-5 with a double and a home run). They also got some help from one of the new faces. Jeremy Hermida only roped one hit, but it was a big one; a bases clearing two-out double in the eight inning that put the Sox up 6-2.

They Sox needed the hit too as Daniel Bard's troubles in the eighth inning continued. After allowing the game winning hit two games ago against the Kansas City Royals, Bard had another shaky outing at Target Field in Minnesota.

It may be all the hype he recieved as possibly the new Jonathan Papelbon has painted a target on every single one of his 98 mph+ fastballs, but so far this season he has not looked good. Against Minnesota Michael Cuddyer welcomed Bard rudely by taking a meaty slider and hooking just over the fence in left.

He did settle down though. After allowing a double to Delmon Young, Bard was able to get pinch-hitting Jim Thome to pop out to Marco Scutaro to end the threat. The shakiness almost seemed contagious as Papelbon could not get through the ninth without having to face the game-tying run in the person of that same Michael Cuddyer.

Papelbon was noticeably low in his deliver to the plate; both in arm angle and in stature. He was getting a great push off of the rubber, but it seemed to be lowering his whole frame in his approach to the mound causing his fastball to dart low and moer importantly, giving a better view for the better.

Despite the mechanical problems, which resulted in two walks, Papelbon still battled through it and was able to finish off Cuddyer and the Twins almost exclusively on fastballs (the one split-fingered fastball was a wild pitch that travelled 58-feet before demolishing the dirt in front of the plate).

The news was not all bad: afterall, the Red Sox did get the win, Hideki Okajima came on to relieve John Lackey and got out of a bases loaded jam by forcing a pop-up out of the dangerous Justin Morneau, and Papelbon, despite having B- stuff on the mound, recorded the save without allowing a run.

It may have been ugly, but the Red Sox pulled out the win, and if its going to take ugly wins to get the ball rolling for the Red Sox, then the Sox will take all the ugly they can get. Plus, they are already well acquianted with ugly... they have Kevin Youkilis don't they?

Playing The Role to Perfection

Jason Varitek Showing Early on He Can be a Backup

Having to sit the first four games for Red Sox Captain Jason Varitek could not have been a good feeling. After being the Red Sox primary catcher since 1999 Varitek took on the role of backup catcher having to take the back seat to a less efficient defensive catcher, but a much more potent offensive catcher in Victor Martinez.

The common consensus before the season was that Varitek would catch the majority of Josh Beckett's games, like a specialty catcher, because of the problems that Martinez and Beckett had meshing last season. He would also spell Martinez when needed and start when it appeared that a certain pitcher needed the help and influence of the veteran catcher labelled by many as the best pitch caller in the majors.

His first start did not get off to a stellar beginning; Beckett allowed a run in the first inning and Varitek's first at-bat against Zach Greinke ended like many last year, with him staring at a tw0-seamer that finished right down the heart of the plate.

But Varitek is a veteran and did not want his first start of the season to fizzle out. After Jeremy Hermida homered to tie the game in the fifth inning, Varitek took the next pitch into the bullpens in right. But Varitek was not done.

In the ninth inning, with the Red Sox clinging to a 5-3 lead, Varitek, who was batting again from the left side, the side many people thought the switch-hitting catcher could no longer do any damage, took a meaty change-up from reliever Luis Mendoza and handed a nice souvenir to a lucky fan in right. Dustin Pedroia finished off the scoring with a two-run homer later in the inning to make it 8-3 and the Red Sox took the second game of this three game series.

And of Varitek and his role as backup catcher? He still preaches the same values of catching that made him a mainstay behind the dish over the past decade, "My focus obviously was Josh and what has to go on there," said the veteran catcher, but he was not complaining about the offensive spurt, "It's nice to contribute, absolutely. Both swings, I was able to get the good part of the bat on the ball. The ball was carrying a little bit to the right."

So Varitek, who spends the majority of his time watching films of opposing batters, not pitchers, knows his role, and although it is only one start into his 2010 season, sure looks like he is fitting perfectly into that role.

(Portions of this article came from Associated Press articles)