Ouch! Wells Puts Worst Foot Forward/Schilling Schelved!
Something was obviously very wrong with Curt Schilling’s swollen ERA, but few expected that the swelling went all the way down to his surgically repaired ankle. Last week saw Schilling join the Sox’s other card carrying AARP member, David Wells, on the disabled list; Schilling with a “bone bruise”, and Wells with a sprained foot. Schilling promises to use the time off to better condition his body, while Wells will continue his quest for the perfect beer and donut combination. Filling their spots in the rotation will be John Halama and an as-yet-undecided minor league call-up.
Meanwhile, the Wade Miller watch continues, as the pitcher is reportedly a minor league start away from joining the rotation. His last outing for Pawtucket saw Miller throwing consistently in the high 80’s/low 90’s according to the gun, but scouts suggest his velocity was better than that.
I’m only happy when it rains…
After a rough weekend that saw the Sox drop two out of three to the Devil Rays, Boston returned home to friendly Fenway, where they were brutalized by the hard-hitting Baltimore Orioles. The O’s sent David Wells (ice) packing early, but that was merely a preview of the sound thrashing they would give to the control-challenged Matt Clement in the following day’s 11-8 victory.
Just before Wednesday’s matinee finale, the front office announces that embattled ace Curt Schilling was headed for the disabled list, and the Sox’s future looked as bleak as the grey skies over Fenway. Thank the gods for the rainout, as the tired looking Sox and their fried bullpen needed the rest…
Deep in the heart of Texas…
…however, apparently it wasn’t quite enough, as the Sox dropped the series opener in Arlington against the young and hungry Texas Rangers. Tim Wakefield looked like he would play the role of stopper early, holding the Rangers to a single run over his first five innings, but, as soon as the Sox offense finally got to the suddenly effective Chan Ho Park, Wakefield relinquished his team’s one run lead, and the Sox bullpen floundered in the 7-3 loss.
The second game of the series saw Bronson Arroyo rise to the challenge of stopping the Sox skid, holding the Rangers to two runs over seven innings, while an offensive explosion (featuring taters from Damon, Nixon, and Tek) buried Rangers pitching in a 9-2 laugher.
Game three featured Matt Clement who pitched much worse than the box score would suggest. While the starter only gave up three runs over six innings, he made it interesting, allowing the Rangers to load the bases twice without without the benefit of a hit. Things also got tense in the bottom of the ninth, when Keith Foulke took a 6-3 Sox lead, and turned it into a squeaker save situation after giving up a two run blast to the pesky Mark Texeira.
With this win, the Sox took the first series they’ve taken from Texas since 2000. The team will now head north to Detroit for a four game set with the Tigers, before returning to the Fens for three against Ichiro and the Seattle Mariners this weekend.
Notable Notes…
The MLB handed down suspensions for the Sox and Rays players who were involved in last weekend’s big brawl. While Bronson Arroyo (six games) and Trot Nixon (three games) have appealed theirs, manager Terry Francona served all three games of his suspension during the series in Texas.
The Sox finished the month of April above .500 for the ninth year in a row. Meanwhile, the Yankees finished the month under .500, and the furthest they’ve been back in the standings the 1997 season.
Something was obviously very wrong with Curt Schilling’s swollen ERA, but few expected that the swelling went all the way down to his surgically repaired ankle. Last week saw Schilling join the Sox’s other card carrying AARP member, David Wells, on the disabled list; Schilling with a “bone bruise”, and Wells with a sprained foot. Schilling promises to use the time off to better condition his body, while Wells will continue his quest for the perfect beer and donut combination. Filling their spots in the rotation will be John Halama and an as-yet-undecided minor league call-up.
