Over and way out for Beckett
He is the Bridgemaster, the Bombino, the man most likely to send you home with a souvenir if you are sitting in the Monster Seats. Big league hitters, most of them American Leaguers, are takin' it to the streets at a record pace against Red Sox righty Josh Beckett in 2006.
The immortal Mark Ellis took Beckett over the Green Monster in the fourth inning of last night's 15-3 dismantling by the Oakland A's. If you're scoring at home, that's three straight losses for the Sox (four is the season high) and 27 homers surrendered by Beckett in a mere 114 1/3 innings. Barring injury, Beckett is on pace to shatter Tim Wakefield's club record of 38 in 1996. The major league record is 50, yielded by Minnesota righty Bert Blyleven in 1986. Blyleven needed 271 2/3 innings to give up the 50 bombs. Beckett's projection over 271 2/3 innings comes to a whopping 64 homers.
Still, the long ball was the least of Way Back Beckett's troubles last night. Setting the tone for the Friday abomination, Beckett gave up seven earned runs on eight hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings. He's 11-5, but his ERA is 5.12.
``No excuse," he said last night, hours after he had been removed from the game. ``It was brutal. Just brutal."
Surrendering homers is an occupational hazard for a pitcher who throws hard and keeps the ball around the plate. Some of the best hurlers -- Blyleven, and Hall of Famers Robin Roberts and Ferguson Jenkins -- gave up hundreds of homers. But what's alarming is Beckett's failure to acknowledge he can't just blow away these American League hitters. Prior to this season, he'd never given up more than 16 homers in a season. In 2003-04, he pitched an aggregate 298 2/3 innings and gave up fewer homers (25) than he's surrendered this year.
Hate to do this, but we're looking at the reverse of the Bronson Arroyo Syndrome here. The American League is simply that much better than the senior circuit. Beckett's got electric stuff and a World Series MVP trophy, but he's going to have to do more pitching and less throwing to be effective in the AL in 2006. In his last three games against the Devil Rays, White Sox, and A's (not an offensive powerhouse), he's given up 25 hits and walked nine in a mere 17 1/3 innings.
Beckett disputed the notion, saying, ``When you make a poorly executed pitch, it gets hit. It doesn't matter what league you're in. The home run was a fastball and I left the ball over the middle of the plate."
Sometimes the hard throwers are also hard headed. When the Sox acquired this young flamethrower last winter, the only question was Beckett's ability to stay healthy. He had chronic blisters on his pitching hand. There've been no blisters this season, but American League batters are blistering too many of his fastballs.
Terry Francona hesitated when asked about Beckett trying to overpower hitters rather than outthink them.
``We don't want to turn him into a touch-and-feel guy," said the manager. ``When he stays out of the middle of the plate, he can dominate. But when you throw balls and hit the middle of the plate, that's when you get hit around a little bit. When he throws that many pitches and falls behind and gets deep in the count, they look for one speed."
Time for Theo and the Minions to get Beckett a Bill James printout. The big righty's strategy is not working.
The A's reached Beckett for a run on three hits in the first inning and scored on an RBI single by Frank Thomas (who wasted a lot of good pitches) in the third. Then Ellis, who came into the game hitting .215 with three homers, hit a two-run shot.
Beckett flamed out after the home run. He walked two more batters in the fourth, then was chased in the fifth, giving up a single and a walk before Milton Bradley (He's Got Game) doubled to left. That was it for Boston's would-be/should-be ace.
``I didn't execute my pitches," said Beckett. ``I feel good and when you feel that good, that's when it really gets under your skin. It's supposed to be an easy day. And then it's a battle. Today was one of the most confusing days for me. It was a struggle for me to slow the game down."
Fear not, loyal Nation. Big Schill gets the ball tonight. And if that doesn't do the trick, the Lake Woebegone Royals come to town Monday.
Beckett is scheduled to start against Kansas City Wednesday afternoon at Fenway. That ought to do the trick. He probably can throw it by the Royals.
