Beckett doesn't hold anything back
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Beckett gave up five runs to Tampa Bay, but threw the ball hard in his first spring training start.
(AP Photo) |
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The fourth and 12th pitches of Josh Beckett's Red Sox career exited
But that shouldn't matter as much as the reviews.
''His fastball was alive," said Lugo, the Tampa Bay shortstop many expected to be dealt to the Sox this offseason (''I thought so, too," Lugo said). ''He's going to be one of the best in the league."
While most pitchers ease into the spring, Beckett held nothing back. Carl Crawford estimated that Beckett was working at 91-93 miles per hour, but Lugo and Gomes both swore they saw him consistently at 94-95.
''For sure," said Gomes, when asked if Beckett was throwing hard for this time of year. ''He was throwing a fastball and two above-average offspeed pitches. That turns it into a guessing game."
Beckett had thrown the three previous hitters a first-pitch fastball, and Gomes went up looking for the same.
''A good guess," he said.
Results aside -- and the results don't yet matter -- Beckett's right shoulder, by all indications, appeared healthy.
''I'm not going to feel that good and pitch that bad too often," he said.
Said manager Terry Francona, ''I thought he looked strong. A healthy Beckett is exciting."
Where most pitchers in their initial spring appearance want only to get their work in, Beckett differs.
''If I was going to do that, I would have just gone and thrown in the bullpen," he said. ''I'm out there trying to get people out."
He went about that working predominantly off his riding fastball (he pitches off the side of the rubber, to get some sail on his ball).
Targeted for two innings and 30-35 pitches, he got through two innings in 22 pitches, went back out, and needed 21 more to escape the third. Of his 43 pitches, 34 were fastballs, five appeared to be curveballs, and four looked to be changeups.
The steady supply of fastballs surely allowed Lugo and Gomes to sit on a couple, but, Beckett said, he was selecting pitches much as he does during the season.
''I want to establish my fastball," he said. ''If I locate those pitches, they don't get hit.
''Made some mistakes. Mistakes shouldn't happen. Left a ball to Gomes over the middle of the plate, was supposed to be in. Lugo same thing, was supposed to be away."
He fanned two: catcher Josh Paul on a fastball that followed a sharp changeup away and Ty Wigginton looking. Beckett went fastball-changeup-fastball to Wigginton before erasing him on a 12-to-6 curveball.
The Sox, winless (0-3) before yesterday, bailed out Beckett, scoring two in the fourth (Josh Bard two-run double), two in the sixth (Dustan Mohr two-run homer), three in the seventh, and one in the eighth, to win, 8-7.
Chad Harville, who finished last year with the Sox and is expected to make the Rays bullpen, faced 10 batters and allowed five runs.
That was Francona yesterday, talking about David Wells, who believes he'll be ready to pitch in a game in approximately one week. Francona doesn't know if that's realistic, and Theo Epstein has said there's only ''a chance" Wells will be ready when the season begins.
However, the early schedule may set up in the Sox' favor. They have two days off in an eight-day span to begin the season and Francona said, ''I really am not comfortable having a five-man rotation with two days off. That's difficult."
A potential solution, presuming Wells will be ready for early April, would be to skip Wells's initial turn.
For now, the plan is to go with Curt Schilling in the April 3 opener at Texas, Tim Wakefield April 4, and Beckett April 5.
''That's not in stone," Francona said, ''but that's the way we're leaning. Wake won 16 games last year. Having Wake in between those two guys, I like that idea. And you start sending [Beckett] out there against some No. 3s, that bodes well for us."
