Lucky Penny
Not often will a pitcher give up eight runs, sit in a clubhouse for a couple hours, then sit before a handful of reporters and say, "I felt unbelievable." Brad Penny did last night.
Penny's line: three innings, eight runs, six hits, five walks, one strikeout, one home run
Penny's opening quote: "I felt great. I haven't had that kind of stuff in a while. The walks killed me tonight."
Penny's explanation: "I don't know. That's uncharacteristic for me. I don't usually walk a lot of people. I got that one out of the way, I guess."
Penny could afford to feel good, and not only because the Red Sox bailed him out with a newly explosive offense and a shutdown bullpen. Penny produced a few pitching lines like the one above last season, but last night felt much, much different.
"Last year was a lot harder to take," Penny said. "When you pitch and do bad and you're hurting, it's a whole different story. Tonight, my velocity was consistent. I felt great. I felt unbelievable tonight.
"Stuff-wise, I felt great. My breaking ball was good. I didn't get to throw too many splits, because I was 2-1, 3-1 to everyone. I had a great curveball. My fastball, I felt great with it today."
He did hit 95 miles per hour with regularity on the Fenway Park radar gun. Even the pitch that did him in the most -- the one Nick Markakis crushed for a grand slam in the seven-run second -- Penny felt good about. The curveball dropped below Markakis's knees, and with some bite.
"I watched the video," Penny said. "I think he was sitting on it. Usually they don't put their front foot down first. He was waiting back on it. He hit a great pitch."
Penny got out of the third after allowing a single and a walk, but walked the leadoff hitter in the fourth, and he was done. He watched a procession of relievers holds Baltimore scoreless and salvage his first Fenway start, and he savored the comeback afterward.
"That's a first for me," Penny said. "Other teams I played on, down 7-0 in the second, it's over. You feel a lot better about an outing like that when the team comes back and wins the game."
Comment
Permalink
Email
Penny had better realize that Sox fans are more knowledgeable and less gullible than Dodgers fans. He should have just said "I was awful tonight," and moved on to his next start.
Are they kidding me with these jerseys and hats. They look like fools and it's no wonder they give up so many runs.
Are they kidding me with these jerseys and hats. They look like fools and it's no wonder they give up so many runs.
Hate to think what might happen when he feels lousy...
Well, I guess it's a good thing that Penny isn't beating himself up over his performance, but he seems a little happy-go-lucky for a guy who walked in two runs and gave up a grand slam...All we can do is let him handle it how he handles it as long as we don't have a repeat during his next start.
This is frightening. He gets shelled and he feels great? What are his standards for success exactly? I guess he means he feels healthy, as opposed to injured? Still.. he seems cavalier, where is his competitive spirit?
Good lord. Look, there are different styles of people that play sports. Some are loud and vocal, others more subdued.
As for Penny, read the entire article, he's talking about his health, his velocity, and the fact that the Sox came back.
Not everybody acts acts like it's Game 7 of the World Series every game.
"he seems a little happy-go-lucky for a guy who walked in two runs and gave up a grand slam"
While his command was terrible from the second on, I won't blame Penny for the home run itself. Markakis' slam was very much wind aided. I was at the game, out in the bleachers, and the wind was kicking up blowing out to the bleachers all night, which is why we saw multiple just barely home runs to the right side, but nothing over the Monster (Hell, barely anything even made it to the monster with that wind). Admittedly, the Sox only won BECAUSE of that wind, but I'm not ready to crucify Penny. He looked sensational in the first inning, only throwing a handful of pitches for balls, he just lost the zone in the second. If not for that wind, that's a lazy fly ball that Ellsbury handles.
Hey Tim....
"Stuff-wise, I felt great. My breaking ball was good. I didn't get to throw too many splits, because I was 2-1, 3-1 to everyone. I had a great curveball. My fastball, I felt great with it today."
Sounds like you might be the one who needs to re-read.
This blogger might want to review your comment before posting it.
Red Sox Twitter
E-mail your question
- Amalie Benjamin,
- Nick Cafardo,
- Chad Finn,
- Adam Kilgore or
- Tony Massarotti
Or if your comment or question is non-specific to a particular reporter, enter it in the form below:browse this blog
by categoryINside Boston.com