I don’t know how to feel about Dice-K right now … his season so far reminds me a lot of Josh Beckett last year; hints of brilliance, but more headaches and frustration than you anticipated. I refuse to judge Matsuzaka on this season, as I fully expect a much better season next year. Of course, that doesn’t do much good right now.
Dice-K has had a good year, but I’m sure most Sox fans would say they expected more, and how could we not with all the hype. He’s been good, but far from great. The fact that he’s yet to make it through the 5th inning in two playoff starts is very frustrating. He’s like a right-handed Jon Lester right now … pitch counts in the neighborhood of 90 pitches at only the 5th inning mark.
Last night’s game had ominous signs from the outset: 2nd inning - bases loaded nobody out and zero runs scored, 4th inning – leadoff double by Ortiz, but an ill advised baserunning move by him and he gets hit by Manny’s ground ball and then he’s out and again, zero runs scored.
Tonight’s game is HUGE! I have no problem with Wakefield pitching – the guy won 17 games this year, a lot of the Cleveland players haven’t faced him before so the knuckleball is quite a different look, and for the Sox to win this series they’re going to need someone other than Josh Beckett to step up. Until Grady’s boner in ’03, Wake was headed for the ALCS MVP … he’s been there before so I have no doubt that he can come through. The Sox need to do something they’ve yet to do in this series – jump ahead first, take some of the pressure off Wakefield.
Win tonight dammit and give the ball to Beckett on Thursday, all knotted at two. I like my chances!
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