Colon may fill the void Tuesday
Let the countdown to Bartolo Colon's Red Sox debut officially begin.
Having placed Clay Buchholz on the disabled list with a torn fingernail, the Sox need a starting pitcher Tuesday. Yesterday afternoon, Colon all but ensured he'll get the call after he allowed just one hit in six scoreless innings in Pawtucket's 2-0 win over host Buffalo.
Colon threw 64 pitches, 45 for strikes. He had five 1-2-3 innings. He did not walk a batter, while topping out at 95 miles per hour. The only hit he allowed was a fourth-inning single by Michael Aubrey.
Need further convincing? It's unlikely the Sox will, assuming Colon shows no ill effects from his outing. His next start should come Tuesday night at Fenway Park against the Kansas City Royals. For the record, Colon is 14-7 with a 4.88 ERA in his career against the Royals; the only team he has beaten more often is Texas - he's 17-5 against the Rangers.
Colon opened the season in Pawtucket, but one day after pitching five innings of one-hit ball, he was placed on the disabled list April 4 with a strained oblique muscle. He has made two rehab starts since: a three-inning outing last Saturday against Norfolk in which he gave up four hits and a run, and yesterday's outing in Buffalo, a place where he once pitched while coming up in the Indians' farm system.
Overall, his record with the PawSox is 2-0 with an 0.64 ERA. In 14 innings, he has allowed one run on six hits, while walking just one and striking out 11. The Sox say he has worked hard to get in much better shape than he was after showing up in camp at the end of February. At the time of his signing, general manager Theo Epstein called it a no-risk, potentially high-reward deal, and the Sox appear ready to put Colon to the test.
Colon had agreed not to exercise the clause in his contract that would have allowed him to be released if he was not on the big league roster by May 1.
The former Cy Young Award winner gets $18,000 per month on his minor league deal, with his major league contract valued at $1.25 million. He gets $100,000 for each game started between 8 and 15, and $175,000 for each game between 15 and 20. He gets $240,000 for each game, 21-25, and $350,000 for 26-30. Along with awards bonuses, Colon has bonuses for games finished if he were to come in as a reliever ($250,000 for 25, $350,000 for 35, $400,000 for 40, and $450,000 for 45). He will get $225,000 for 30 days on the big league roster and an additional $225,000 for each 30 games after that up to 150. Colon also gets $250,000 if he is traded.
High marks for Matsuzaka
Daisuke Matsuzaka will attempt to become the American League's first seven-game winner when he faces former Sox pitcher Jeff Suppan and the Brewers tonight in Fenway Park, Milwaukee's first visit here since it switched to the National League following the 1997 season.Matsuzaka is one of three AL pitchers who are 6-0 - Cliff Lee of the Indians and Ervin Santana of the Angels are the others. Joe Saunders of the Angels, who is 6-1, also goes for his seventh win tonight.
Matsuzaka ranks fifth in the league in ERA at 2.45. He's second in the league in opponents' batting average (.170), behind only Shaun Marcum of the Blue Jays (.151). Having allowed just three home runs in 198 plate appearances, just one to a righthanded hitter, Matsuzaka is second in the league to Lee in opponents' slugging percentage (.279 to .220). He has drawn much attention because of his walks - with 30, he's second in the league to Cleveland's Fausto Carmona (35) and he's averaging 5.66 per nine innings - but his other numbers are dominating, including this one: a strikeout-per-nine-innings ratio of 7.55 (40 in 47 2/3 innings), sixth in the league.
In his second season with the Sox last year, Josh Beckett won his first nine decisions. Matsuzaka, in his second season, could challenge that. He also is putting together a streak reminiscent of countryman Hideo Nomo, who as a rookie in 1995 lost his first decision, then rattled off seven straight wins.
