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Thoughts from Game One: How Bad Was Jon Lester?

Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona, left, and David Ortiz hang their heads in the dugout during the ninth inning of their 5-0 loss to the Los Angeles Angels in Game 1 of the American League division baseball series  in Anaheim, Calif., Thursday, Oct. 8, 2009. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

More photos » Chris Carlson - AP

4 months ago: Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona, left, and David Ortiz hang their heads in the dugout during the ninth inning of their 5-0 loss to the Los Angeles Angels in Game 1 of the American League division baseball series in Anaheim, Calif., Thursday, Oct. 8, 2009. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

The loss has soaked in a little bit -- a little. Not too much. It's a tough pill to swallow, for sure, but that's why they play three games. One win does not allow you to pass Go and enter the ALCS. Until the Angels actually win three games, the Red Sox have a chance to take this series.

With that said, there's a few things to still talk about from game one.

Star-divide

  • How bad was Jon Lester? Truth be told, we didn't see a bad Jon Lester last night -- he just wasn't his normal self. His normal self doesn't give up big hits like a three-run home run. And if you look at it, that was the only big hit he gave up all night. Most hits were just one that dropped into the outfield. A lot of his problems came from the strikezone, too. There was a few different occasions where Lester thought he had a strike three, but instead he surrendered a walk or gave up a hit. That will wear on a pitcher fast. Despite all that, Lester held it together pretty well and didn't absolutely blow up.
  • Three errors -- really? The Red Sox committed three errors last night. Actually, check that: one. CB Bucknor had two errors last night, the Red Sox have one. Whenever you see a boxscore and the Sox are on the hook for three errors, you know it was a bad night. But if you didn't watch the game, you know only one was legitimate (and I can tell you right now, that whole play was fuzzy in my mind, too).
  • Speaking of Bucknor... I wonder if there will be any kind of recourse for him blowing two plays last night. Jon Lester said after the game last night that error is in human nature, but that doesn't mean there can't be some penalty for it. It didn't cost the Sox the game, but the fact the plays were to obvious blown calls should mean something to Bud Selig and Major League Baseball.
  • Ramon Ramirez a little off. Terry Francona thinks RamRam was a little amped up. I can't blame him, because it was his first postseason appearance. While Ramirez hasn't been our best reliever all season, remember that he may have been our best to start the season. And he's been really good on the road, too: .182 BAA (.285 at Fenway!) and a 1.17 WHIP. Should he have pitched in that situation? I say, why not? He's been used in that type of situation all year long and Tito didn't think he couldn't handle it (in hindsight, of course, Daniel Bard would have been a better choice).
  • Speaking of Bard... Man, he was pretty filthy last night. Did you see the look on Chone Figgins' face after he struck him out looking? I'll say what Figgins was thinking: "DAAAAAAMN!!" It's nice to see at least one pitcher throwing lights out last night.
  • Papi. Behind a bad offense, David Ortiz went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts. That is not a good way to kick off the postseason for Mr. Papi. Not a good way to anchor the middle of the lineup, either.
  • Mike Lowell showing range. Defense to remember: a few Mike Lowell plays. He had a diver in the first inning to end the inning with a toss to second. He had another low grounder to his left where he showed a lot of range, fielded the ball cleanly and threw across the diamond. Can this last for entire postseason? I hope. Is that realistic? No. But still, solid fielding from Lowell.

I think it's almost about time we put a stamp on game one. Sound good?

Poll
Outside of CB Bucknor's brilliance, what was the biggest disappointment from game one?
Jon Lester. He just wasn't sharp.
39 votes
The offense. It lacked ... offense.
628 votes
John Lackey. We didn't see him whine at all.
60 votes

727 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs  |  Comment 16 comments |

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Lester

he was not sharp and was not awful. He lost at least 10 pitches on his pitch count given the two inning extending calls at first, and the fact that he had Hunter Ked on the at bat where he walked (that only extened the inning by 4 pitches however). The pitch to Hunter was a clear mistake-and he made a few others that he got away with. In all-was a bit too high in the zone on and off all night. His biggest problem was Abreu-all of the legitimate walks he gave up were to Abreu (the one other was the one mentioned to Hunter). The walk in front of Hunter’s bomb hurt-otherwise it might be a 2-0 game. In reality he should have been able to go 7 innings 3 runs, but that would not have been good enough anyway given how our offense did not handle Lackey at all.

by Buzzy on Oct 9, 2009 12:30 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Lester was alright.

He worked his way out of all but one jam, and held a good-hitting team to 3 runs in 6 innings, which is the definition of a quality start. This despite a tiny Joe West strike zone and the egregious safe calls by CB Bucknor, which forced him to get more outs and work harder than necessary.

There were two things going on last night that destroyed our chances of winning:
1) Lackey finally turned in a great playoff performance. He is a good pitcher, and whatever luck or voodoo was keeping him from success wasn’t operating last night.

2) The Sox offense was rusty as hell, swinging at crap and making junk outs. Lowell’s double play immediately after Bay got on was emblematic ; he should be hitting 8th, not Drew
This is just BS observation, but usually the Sox players seem ‘locked in’ for the playoffs. Last night they seemed listless. Even after Lackey left the game, they looked helpless against Darren Oliver, who is a hittable pitcher.

"It's just a tiny little nick, but it hurts when I get champagne in there."
- Jason Bay, on getting spiked scoring the winning run in ALDS Game Four.

by 0157H7 on Oct 9, 2009 1:18 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Rust

I totally agree.

This insanely long layoff in between games was ridiculous. The Sox weren’t alone here, but the Angels didn’t rack up 1-15 hits either. When you haven’t faced real game conditions for a week, it’s hard to do anything against a pitcher – especially when he’s locked in like Lackey was.

Also, Abreu did more damage than the box score would indicate. Earning all those walks had to frustrate Lester and wear him down…

Bottom Line: hopefully the rust is off now and we can get the bats going tonight.

by bottomlinesox on Oct 9, 2009 1:22 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

You cannot have it both ways!

I am getting kind of tired of these lame excuses. That giveaway game to Toronto a week ago was suppose to be a resting game so the team would not be tired. Now all of a sudden, they are too rested. Come on, you can do a better job of critiquing that loss than this!

by NG on Oct 9, 2009 3:49 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Blowsox. That's cute.

Did you come up with that on your own, or did a group of you get together and brainstorm on it?

Goddamn that DeMarlo Hale.

by Bloggy on Oct 9, 2009 3:42 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Just not a good game whatsoever

Hopefully the Sox will put a better performance together tonight.

One positive…we now know Ramon Ramirez should be the LAST guy out of the pen. Paul Byrd gets in before RR.

I thought Saito pitched well in a very bad spot. He could help the Sox latter in the series.

by SoxAcumen on Oct 9, 2009 4:16 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Agreed about Saito

I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.

by Drugs Delaney on Oct 9, 2009 4:29 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

I liked how calm and cool Saito kept himself

I am hoping to see more from him in the post. Let’s Go Red Sox! BEAT LAA!!

"I was like a kid in a candy store running around with his head cut off ,,,," 0_o

by CaliforniaGreen on Oct 9, 2009 4:41 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Good news for RamRam

He can’t pitch that bad all post season long

"Next time I get the opportunity I am going to hold on and make a better decision." ~ Leodis McKelvin. (Can't ask for anythitng more than that)

by NolaBillsFan on Oct 9, 2009 4:41 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Few thoughts about Game 1 GTD:

I have to be proud of the class and the understanding of the game shown by the members of OTM: Umpiring sucks? “That’s a part of the game, we should pitch better, let’s move on!”, The absence of vulgarity etc
Thank you for showin’ the higher moral standards and less bitterness compared to the members of HH.

"That was a lot of fun… You just keep pounding balls into the gap. The one thing you don’t want to do is hit a home run. That’s a rally-killer." Jeff Francoeur

by radiohix on Oct 9, 2009 5:04 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Really?

Because I’ve heard a lot of bitterness and complaining in the last fifteen hours or so.

by PitPerc on Oct 9, 2009 6:10 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

If Beckett doesn't bring his A game tonight

I hope we deal him this winter. Either be the Ace you are aupposed to be or get out.

VARITEK MUST GO
Brandon Webb in 2010

by gizmosandy on Oct 9, 2009 6:44 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

There's gratitude for ya.

Goddamn that DeMarlo Hale.

by Bloggy on Oct 9, 2009 6:58 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

+1

I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.

by Drugs Delaney on Oct 9, 2009 8:06 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

For Mike' sake

Can the offense please display an ounce of consistency?

by qthaballa on Oct 9, 2009 9:23 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

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