A few thoughts bouncing around inside my head following the Red Sox 8-1 win in Game 1 of the World Series.
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So, should John Farrell have taken Jon Lester out of last night's game after the 6th or 7th inning?
Lester was cruising last night but there were two chances for Farrell to remove him from the game.
After the top of the 6th inning, Lester had thrown 91 pitches and the Red Sox held a comfortable 5-0 lead. After the 7th inning, Lester had thrown 101 pitches and the Red Sox had increased their lead t0 7-0 by the end of the inning. Lester ended up getting the first two outs of the 8th inning before Farrell went to the bullpen and he ended up with 112 pitches.
I bring this up because there is some uncertainty over the health of Clay Buchholz. Buchholz struggled in both of his starts against the Tigers in the ALCS and there was some doubt if he would even be able to start any of the games against the Cardinals, an issue since resolved because it was announced he would start Sunday's Game 4 in St. Louis.
If Buchholz is unable to make his start or he can't pitch successfully, the Red Sox would be put into a tough spot and one of the possible solutions would be to move Lester up to pitch Game 4 on just three days of rest. If that is the option the Red Sox choose, the taking Lester out after the 7th, or even better after the 6th, would have saved him from throwing an additional 11-21 pitches.
Is that nitpicking? Yes, certainly. If Lester is needed to move up a few days - and that doesn't even seem to be the case now - then he should be able to answer the call despite throwing 112 pitches as opposed to 101 or 91 pitches.
I'm not even a fan of moving Lester up. If Buchholz misses his Game 4 start or is pulled early due to injury and/or ineffectiveness then I hope that Farrell will turn to either Felix Doubront or Ryan Dempster and keep Lester on his normal rest. Win or lose in Game 4, if the Red Sox keep Lester, John Lackey, and Jake Peavy on their normal rest then they should win this series.
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Cardinals backers can complain all that they want but the reversal of the missed call by second base umpire Dana DeMuth in the first inning was the right call.
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I was surprised that Farrell did not get Will Middlebrooks, who has been a fixture on the bench since being replaced as the starter at third base by Xander Bogaerts for Game 5 of the ALCS, an at-bat in the blowout victory.
Farrell might need Middlebrooks in an important situation at some point in the series and by missing a chance to allow him to get a plate appearance in a moment with no pressure than he runs the risk of Middlebrooks not being comfortable if/when his name gets called.
In fairness, Farrell did sneak Daniel Nava into the game for Jonny Gomes. Nava has been the odd man out in the outfield because Gomes has been starting most of the games in the postseason in left field but Farrell made sure to get him some action last night so he can stay game ready if/when he is needed in the series.
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I believe this series is far from over but it's going to be an interesting debate in Boston should the Red Sox win about David Ortiz' place in team history.
Playing a key role in what would be his third World Series title with the Red Sox would, in my opinion, catapult Ortiz to a position on par with Ted Williams as the best players in team history.
It's still amazing to me what Ortiz has accomplished in his eleven years in Boston. He has done so much to transform the organization into a consistent winner and one day when we look back on his career, he will truly be considered one of the greatest to ever wear the Red Sox uniform.
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Carlos Beltran did last night what Torii Hunter could not do in Game 2 of the ALCS, which was rob David Ortiz of a grand slam into the Red Sox bullpen in right field.
Now it also looks like the Cardinals slugger won't be able to do what Bruins star Patrice Bergeron did in last year's Stanley Cup Finals, which is play with a rib injury.
Bergeron skated in Game 6 of the Finals with broken ribs and a punctured lung but Beltran, who just bruised his ribs while crashing into the fence to rob Ortiz of what would have been his second grand slam of the postseason, is not definite to play tonight.
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Enjoy John Lackey tonight.
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