Francona said it "would be very important" to try and get reliever Hideki Okajima into Thursday's game against the Twins. However, Francona indicated, it was not imperative to try and get Okajima into back-to-back games before Sunday's regular-season finale.Based on these remarks, I'd say that getting Oki ready for October has a higher priority among The Powers That Be than either nailing down the division or getting Beckett his 21st win.
"We'd like to pitch him again," Francona said. "But this is not a situation where he's coming back from arm surgery. We elected to take a safe route where we thought we could get him back and have him pitch a lot in the postseason."
Seeing that Gagné still inspires no confidence as an 8th inning guy, I have to agree with the priorities.
In other news...
Tavarez as an ERA of 9.0 in his last five appearences (9IP, 9ER). This, in my mind, makes getting Oki ready a huge priority.
Bob Ryan thinks Mike Lowell is the Red Sox MVP. It's really, really hard to argue against that. *cough*oneyeardeal*cough*
Tony Massarotti also says Shilldog should start Game 2. Much more eloquently, I might add.
According to MLB.com, Beckett has been otherworldly in September: 4-0, 2.25 ERA, 30 K's, 6 BB's.
2 comments:
I agree that Schilling should be above DiceK in the depth chart. However, if they wind up in the short (A) series in the first round, only the #1 will get two starts, unless they bring back Beckett on 3 days rest. #2, #3 and #4 get one each. So it doesn't make a huge difference.
Now if we play the long (B) series, it IS a big deal. #1 and #2 get two starts each. #3 gets one and #4 isn't needed.
That's why I'm definitely in favor of the long series. Beckett twice, Schilldog twice, and Dice-K once on a bazillion days rest.
And it limits how much the MFY can use Jabba.
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