Struggling Red Sox RP Hideki Okajima

During their current West Coast road trip, the Boston Red Sox need for bullpen help has never been more present than it is right now.  While the offense has been silent lately, help is on the way as Victor Martinez will be back this week, Jacoby Ellsbury is on a rehab assignment, and Dustin Pedroia isn’t far from coming back.  There are no such reinforcements in sight internally for the Red sox.

Following Hideki Okajima’s horrendous performance yesterday – 2/3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 inherited runner scored, and a blown save – one would think that a move would be coming very soon.  Okajima’s outing, combined with Manny Delcarmen’s brutal outing on Thursday – 4 batters faced, 0 outs recorded, 2 H, 4R, 1 BB – against the Seattle Mariners, the worst hitting lineup in the American League at a .233 batting average -has made the bullpen a priority at the trade deadline. 

It is June 26, and hope for a playoff berth is slipping away with by the day as the team continues to blow leads late, make crippling errors (see: Bill Hall and Eric Patterson), and get next to no production from their outfield.  The Yankees and Rays are taking full advantage as they continue to win easily against the dregs of the American League, which is something that this Red Sox team seems to have a hard time with between Oakland and the Mariners on this trip.

The road will not get any easier.  The Red Sox begin a 3 game set at Anaheim vs. the Angels tonight.  Tonight, they will have to face the newly acquired former Cy Young winner Dan Haren, who was absolutely thieved from Arizona for a struggling Joe Saunders and a pupu platter of questionable minor league prospects in a trade yesterday afternoon.  If they do not take 2 out of 3 from the Angels to salvage a .500 record for this trip, it may be panic time.

Red Sox 1B Kevin Youkilis

As the Red Sox bandwagon limps into the 2010 All-Star break with 2 broken wheels and a seizing engine, the team still finds itself in decent shape, with a 51-37 record, 5 games behind the Yankees and 2 behind the Rays for the Wild Card.  Not bad for a team with 12 players on the disabled list. 

In comparison, last season a healthy Red Sox team found itself with a 54-34 record at the break, 3 games ahead of the Yankees for the AL East lead, but one that they would eventually relinquish.  For the Red Sox to be only 3 games off last year’s pace with the number of injuries they currently have is nothing short of remarkable. 

To put it in perspective, 4 of the 6 Red Sox selected to play in the 2010 All-Star Game in Anaheim cannot play due to injury.  Dustin Pedroia, Victor Martinez, Clay Buchholz, and Adrian Beltre – who strained his hamstring just yesterday – will not play.  Jon Lester and David Ortiz are the only Red Sox healthy enough to play for the American League, which has won 12 in a row, if you throw out the embarrassing tie in the 2002 All-Star Game.

It could be said that no team needs the All-Star break like the Red Sox do, who in addition to the aforementioned infirmary all-stars, are currently missing ace Josh Beckett, CF Jacoby Ellsbury, captain C Jason Varitek, 3B Mike Lowell, OF Jeremy Hermida, and RP Manny Delcarmen.  Also, OF Mike Cameron – who is fighting through an abdominal tear – and SP Daisuke Matsuzaka have also battled injuries this year as well.

The ability of the Red Sox to be where they are now is a testament to the front office and manager Terry Francona, who has deployed numerous replacements that not many had heard of including CF Darnell McDonald, LF Daniel Nava, SP Felix Dubront, 2B/OF Eric Patterson, as well as veterans IF/OF Bill Hall and C Kevin Cash. 

While the Red Sox will apparently be getting healthier as time progresses, they will have their work cut out for them following the break.  They will host Texas for a 4-game set at Fenway, which is sure to include one game against the newly acquired ace Cliff Lee. 

They will then embark on a 10-game west coast road trip, (which is never easy) with 3 games at Oakland, 4 at Seattle, and 3 at the Angels and then host the Tigers (3) and Indians (4) before heading to Yankee Stadium for a 4-game weekend set. 

If the Red Sox can break even on the west coast trip and win both series at home before heading to the House That Jeter Built, they will still be in good shape.  For this to happen, John Lackey and Daisuke Matsuzaka must earn their keep, the front office must bring in another bullpen arm to buttress Jonathan Papelbon and Daniel Bard, and some of the other pieces must get back into the fold as well. 

As Boston fans we want to see this team as the 2004 Patriots, who battled a ridiculous amount of injuries on their way to a third Superbowl title, rather than the 2006 Red Sox, who had an equal amount of freak injuries, but fell out of the race in August after being swept at home in a 5-game series by the Yankees.  By the time the series in New York is over on Monday August 9, we will know exactly where this team stands.

Outside of Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz, the starting pitching has been awful

In 39 games played, the pitching rotation has just 18 Quality Starts (6 IP, 3 or less ER) to their credit.  John Lackey has been disappointing thus far, as his strikeout rate (5.58/9 IP) and his strikeout-to-walk ratio (1.48) have been the worst of his career to this point.  In his last 2 starts, he has allowed 11 earned runs in 13 innings, causing his ERA to jump a full run to 4.86.  Not exactly what you’re looking for in your highest paid player.  Josh Beckett has allowed a staggering 52 hits in just 41 innings with a pitiful 7.46 ERA, and Daisuke Matsuzaka is his usual disappointing self, as he has made past the 5^th inning just twice in 4 starts, once of which was against the Baltimore Orioles.

The Offense has been better than expected despite injuries

The Red Sox are 2^nd in the A.L. with 54 HR, and 3^rd in runs scored with 203.  J.D. Drew has been the most productive hitter with 26 RBI, and Adrian Beltre is an unlikely candidate to be leading the team in hitting with a .312 average.  Even David Ortiz is showing signs of life lately with 6 HR in May.  Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis have been their consistent selves. Victor Martinez was moved down to 5^th in the lineup and hit 2 HR last night. Marco Scutaro has been a good leadoff hitter, with a .363 OBP.  Jason Varitek has been good when he’s been asked to spell Martinez.    One would think that Beltre will come back to earth, as his patience at the plate has not been great (8 walks in 149 Plate Appearances), but the offense in general should improve once Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Cameron Return. 

The middle relief has been horrible, but the late inning relief has been solid

Since the starting rotation is rarely going deep into games, the bullpen continues to be tax heavily, which mean that Hideki Okajima and Ramon Ramirez are pitching much more than they should.  Each is sporting an ERA over 6.00, and are both possible candidates to be released at some point should there be more of the same.  Addtionally, left-handed hitters are hitting .346 off “lefty-specialist” Scott Schoenweis.  Things usually don’t bode well for pitchers who are paid to get 1 out a game and can’t do it.  The back end of the bullpen has been solid however, as Daniel Bard has been great, striking out 26 batters in 20 innings.  Despite last night’s rough outing, Jonanthan Papelbon has been good, converting 9 of 10 save opportunities.

So what needs to happen for this team to succeed?  If the starting pitching can come around and get into the 6^th and 7^th innings consistently, the Red Sox can improve.  Once the offense is healthy, they will score more runs, and Ellsbury’s speed will make them more diverse of a threat.   Hopefully by the time these things happen, the Red Sox won’t be 15 games out of first.