Yes, the Red Sox have a lot of things going for them. There’s Ted Williams, Stephen King, the Green Monster, the most loyal fans this side of the Atlantic, the two-man wrecking crew that is David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, very cool caps and, finally, World Series rings that don’t look like they date to the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Still, a little pitching wouldn’t hurt.
Tuesday’s Game 1 of the AL Division Series at U.S. Cellular Field demonstrated why anyone who believes even a little bit in statistical analysis picked the White Sox to win this series.
And by anyone, I do mean anyone. Even ESPN’s esteemed Peter Gammons, a man who is as New England as chowder and who has become (with apologies to John Henry) the unofficial owner of the Red Sox, called this one White Sox in five.
Gammons doesn’t count sheep when he wants to go to sleep. He counts pitches.
He knows not to pick a team that is starting a guy in Game 1 with a 4.57 earned-run average, especially when he’s the rule, not the exception, on the pitching staff.
It doesn’t help when that pitcher starting Game 1 must do it on an 85-degree afternoon at U.S. Cellular Field, with balls jumping off bats.
“In this park, you hit balls in the air, there’s a chance they’re going out of here–especially when the weather’s like it is,” Matt Clement said. “I’m not saying the weather had anything to do about it, but you know that when you come here you have to keep the ball down.”
Clement took quite a beating for Boston, giving up three home runs and suffering bruises on two parts of his body, all in 3 1/3 innings.
The White Sox’s 14-2 victory brought back memories of another October nightmare for the Red Sox.
They lost Game 3 of the 2004 ALCS to the Yankees 19-8 but came back to the win the next four games.
Manager Terry Francona was asked if the memory of that comeback will make it any easier for the Red Sox to get past the shock of this shelling, which included two homers by A.J. Pierzynski and three others, including Scott Podsednik’s first in 524 at-bats.
“That was a long time ago,” Francona said. “It’s a little different team. . . . Last year is a long time ago. Different team, different scenario.”
Francona got that right, which is good news for the White Sox.
When the Yankees teed off on Bronson Arroyo in Game 3 a year ago, Francona came back with Derek Lowe in Game 4, Pedro Martinez in Game 5, Curt Schilling in Game 6 and then Lowe again, on short rest, in Game 7.
Schilling is the only member of that trio still with the Red Sox.
The rebuilt Red Sox, who invested heavily in keeping catcher Jason Varitek and adding shortstop Edgar Renteria, somehow won 95 games despite a rotation that ranked eighth in the AL in ERA and a bullpen that would have loved to be eighth.
On Wednesday, Francona will turn to David Wells and his 4.45 ERA to turn things around.
Then it’s back to Boston, where Tim Wakefield, owner of a 4.15 ERA, starts Game 3.
Schilling is in the wings for a Game 4. At least the Red Sox know Schilling’s 5.69 ERA is deceptive.
As Clement stood outside the visitors’ clubhouse Tuesday night, patiently telling reporters how both his left wrist and left quadriceps were sore from the Carl Everett screamer that caromed off him in the third inning, Wells quietly headed out the door, carrying dinner in a P.F. Chang’s bag.
Earlier in the afternoon, Wells had pulled an Ozzie Guillen, saying he might retire if his team won the World Series.
Sorry, David, you’re a little late. You should have been in Boston a year ago if you wanted to go out on top.
Of course, there was little need for a 42-year-old wanderer like Wells before Henry, Larry Lucchino and Theo Epstein allowed Martinez and Lowe to leave as free agents.
Between them, Martinez and Lowe were 27-23 with a 3.22 ERA over 66 starts for the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers this year.
Either of them could have been the ace the Red Sox are lacking with Schilling–the man Johnny Damon cites as “the reason Pedro and Derek Lowe aren’t here”–still somewhat limited by the ankle injury he was dealing with last October.
Because of the thin condition of Boston’s staff, which kept the pedal to the metal for seven games in six days last week, this is an extremely winnable series for the White Sox, who haven’t won one this time of year in Minnie Minoso’s lifetime.
Francona said the one blessing to come out of Tuesday’s loss was he was able to rest his best two relievers, Mike Timlin and rookie Jonathan Papelbon. But other guys had to suck up 4 2/3 innings, which might make him regret putting only 10 pitchers on the playoff roster, especially if Wells can’t go deep Wednesday.
While the 2004 ALCS illustrates the best possible Red Sox response to a blowout, you only have to go back to mid-September to see how quickly one bad thing can lead to another.
After Clement was knocked out in the second inning by Oakland at Fenway Park on Sept. 18, Wells didn’t make it through the third at Tampa Bay the next night. Schilling earned Boston an important win on Sept. 20, but the Red Sox lost to the Devil Rays the following night, Tampa scoring five eighth-inning runs off Wakefield and Timlin.
That’s not just a blueprint for the White Sox, it’s a fresh blueprint.
———-
progers@tribune.com
