Lackey Shines For Surging Red Sox

Added on Jun 06, 2011 by Scott in

MLB

John Lackey’s return to the Red Sox starting rotation after a near month-long stint on the DL with elbow problems went better than even he could have expected. In 5 2/3 innings, he allowed three runs on three hits and notched his first win since April 24th, when he blanked the Angels 7-0. Lackey’s quality outing is just the latest sign that the preseason favorite Red Sox are beginning to impose their will on the rest of the American League.

Winners of three straight, Boston sits at 33-26, a game behind the Yankees in the AL East. The two rivals will lock horns for a three-game series beginning Tuesday in New York. The Red Sox swept the Yankees on the road in mid May, and will be sending both aces Jon Lester and Josh Beckett to the mound, tomorrow and Thursday respectively.

Remember when the Sox were 2-10? Remember when certain pundits were writing them off with 150 games left to play? Remember when diehard fans were angrily calling for Terry Francona and Theo Epstein to be fired? It seems like a long time ago, but it was only six weeks.

Panic and overreaction is par for the course in sports, especially in cities like Boston, but the degree to which the Red Sox were attacked in early April bordered on insane. Sure, they were horrible two weeks into the season. Sure, they looked like a team in total disarray. On April 15th… not July 15th or September 15th.

The Red Sox are second in the AL in batting and second in the Majors in average at .270. If Lackey can turn things around, they will boast the most feared starting staff in baseball, second only to the Phillies. Lester, Beckett and Clay Buchholz are a combined 15-7 with 190 strikeouts.

Love ‘em or loathe ‘em, the Sox are surging. Another two wins and they’ll be back in first place. Everything has returned to normal in the world of baseball.

Source: ESPN.com