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All-Star Josh Beckett allowed a pair of earned runs and fanned four in improving to 10-3. (Jim Davis/Globe Staff) |
Red Sox notebook
Smoltz hits on something
Statistic seems to back his claim
A day after his third Red Sox start and Fenway Park debut, a 6-0 loss to the A’s Monday night, John Smoltz remained confused with his outing - “I still shake my head,’’ he said - and confident about his pitching.
After three starts, Smoltz feels he has pitched better than his 6.60 ERA and 0-2 record would indicate. In his first three starts, Smoltz thinks he has been “getting dinked a little bit’’ and “giving up a hard hit every once in a while.’’
There is one statistic that reinforces Smoltz’s thinking. Opposing batters are hitting .370 on balls put in play - at-bats that are not home runs or strikeouts. The highest total in the entire league among pitchers with enough innings to qualify for the ERA title is .353, the batting average on balls put in play that belongs to Philadelphia’s Cole Hamels.
This season, 73.2 percent of line drives have fallen in for hits. Smoltz’s rate is nearly identical - 72.7 percent of the line drives he has allowed have been hits. Also, 20.8 percent of balls in play against Smoltz have been line drives, which is slightly above league average. Simply, through the limited sample size of three starts, Smoltz is allowing more base hits on groundballs and fly balls than the average pitcher.
Since the days leading up to his first start in Washington, Smoltz has repeated his pitching will be where he wants and expects it to be after four or five starts.
“I’m ahead of the curve, by the way,’’ Smoltz said. “I’m not ahead of the curve statistically, but I’m ahead of the curve the way I’m throwing the baseball. There couldn’t be two people that thought I would be throwing 93, 94 miles per hour. That’s ahead of the curve.’’
After Smoltz allowed five runs in six innings Monday night, catcher Jason Varitek agreed with Smoltz. Varitek feels comfortable with Smoltz’s five-pitch repertoire.
“He needs to get some innings under his belt and needs to get his full feel back,’’ Varitek said. “He’s adjusting to a new league, new everything.’’
There is one aspect of his start Smoltz is upset with - how he’s adjusted to the American League.
“That’s been a little frustrating to me,’’ Smoltz said. “Because I haven’t set the tone. I’ve let some things creep in that haven’t exactly set the tone. I’ll change that.’’
Second to none
Dustin Pedroia returned to the lineup last night, one day after his pregnant wife, Kelli, was hospitalized after going into early labor. Pedroia admitted some of his thoughts would be with his wife, but he contributed to the victory with an RBI single in the sixth.“That was big in a lot of ways for him,’’ leftfielder Jason Bay said.
“It was nice to have him here,’’ said manager Terry Francona. “I think he was probably glad to be playing.’’
A short stop
Shortstop Jed Lowrie was scheduled to play in Portland last night after playing nine innings Monday for the first time since before his April 21 surgery. Lowrie felt sore after Monday night’s game, but he attributed it to rust. He admitted to being slightly frustrated at the slow pace of his rehab. He ended up getting last night off when the Sea Dogs were rained out.“I felt like before I got hit in the knee I was ahead of schedule with the wrist,’’ Lowrie said. “It felt great. I just haven’t had any consistency throughout this whole thing, which, like I said, it’s just a little bit of bad luck, and something that I’m working hard to get through and getting back out there and playing.’’
Lowrie has a limited time in which to rehab before the Sox must decide to keep him in the minors or bring him back to the majors. With Nick Green playing well and Julio Lugo acting as an expensive backup, the Sox also could choose to keep Lowrie in the minors.
“I’m not worried where I fit in,’’ Lowrie said. “I feel like I’ve proven myself to the point where they know what I’m capable of. I just need to get healthy and be the player that they know and I know I’m capable of being.’’
Back on top
Kevin Youkilis went 0 for 4, extending his slump to 2 for 26. Since June started, Youkilis is batting .207, and his season average is down to .291. Youkilis, though, still leads the American League with a .411 on-base percentage . . . Josh Beckett (103) and Jon Lester (123) are the first pair of Red Sox teammates to reach 100 strikeouts before the All-Star break since Curt Schilling (118) and Pedro Martínez (112) in 2004 . . . Francona reinserted J.D. Drew into the leadoff spot after the right fielder received Monday off. He went 1 for 5 . . . Aaron Bates remained in the starting lineup at first base and went 0 for 3 for the second straight night. Francona wanted to keep Bates in against lefty starter Dana Eveland while also allowing Mark Kotsay to rest his mildly strained calf. Kotsay was “feeling better,’’ Francona said. Bates had a walk and two strikeouts while making a nice scoop of a Green throw at first. “I bet he’s nervous,’’ Francona said. “I thought he played the heck out of first. He’s got a big wingspan that you don’t teach.’’Amalie Benjamin of the Globe staff contributed to this report. 
© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.
