The Red Sox showed to us for the first time all season that they're capable of not only beating the best team in baseball on the road, but of putting together a string of wins against quality teams. Last week, I wrote here that their true test was coming in this current stretch against contenders. The Sox seem to have passed the test up to this point.
Though they still sit in fourth place, they aren't too far behind the Yankees, who are snug behind Tampa Bay. Toronto has been surprisingly good -- they've pitched well and they hit home runs. Though most would expect them to slip, the Sox need to keep doing what they've been doing: ignore the standings, and just find ways to win games.
What's been the turn-around? Simple. Pitching, pitching, pitching. When the pitching goes well, the rest seems to fall into place. Adrian Beltre twice got breaks with the bases loaded in two games. On Sunday, he hit a ball through Greg Dobbs' legs and tonight reached on a lucky infield single with the ducks sitting. Ortiz hit another home run tonight, and Youkilis his second in two games. Matsuzaka, Wakefield, and Buchholz have carried the Sox the past three games, respectively. The formula has been simple: pitch well with an over-achieving offense, and success will come.
They clearly still have work to do; it gets easier when the starting outfield is back tomorrow night when Mike Cameron will be activated. He won't carry them or improve them dramatically, but will provide Francona with some much needed flexibility and depth. Jeremy Hermida can now be used against power right-handers late in games as a pinch-hitter; Bill Hall can now play in the infield as a back-up instead of the outfield. It can only help to add depth, which has been lacking since early April.
The outlook for the Red Sox looks promising -- or at the very least -- better. You're only as good as your next day's starting pitcher. Jon Lester sounds good tomorrow.
Celtics Lose Late
Tough losses tend to leave their mark; hopefully the Celtics can move on from tonight's tough game four overtime loss to the Magic.
Paul Pierce had a great game for the Celtics. He carried their offense for most of the game. I thought Rajon Rondo was brilliant with his ball handling all night -- he just needed to drive to the basket a little bit more. The Celtics seem to have a lot of success against Orlando going to the hoop. They've gotten to the line and made their free throws.
Viewing tonight's game, we debated the Celtics not calling time-out before the last shot at the end of regulation. Some argued that the Celtics did the right thing -- allow them to go with momentum, run the same play they'd call even with a time-out, and stay hot -- which they were at the end. When Pierce didn't get a shot off, it didn't symbolize their lack of plan. It was simply a tired player showing he was gassed. And boy, he was gassed. Allen was hot and should have had the ball in his hands. Pierce is your franchise guy and the beloved fan favorite, but that was Allen's calling.
Pierce didn't have it in over-time, nor did any of his teammates. When the game went to OT, the Celtics should have won it. No excuses. They hit big shots to earn the chance to win and they should have closed.
Should fans be nervous? No, the Celtics are not the Bruins. There is no need to start that debate, nor the need to waste worries. However, the Celtics have a difficult game 5 coming. David Stern could send the goons in for this one -- give the Magic some home calls and force a longer series. The Celtics have to do what they did in games 1 and 2: play better defense on Dwight Howard, get Rondo driving, and play hard from the beginning.
Maybe they came out a little flat; the Magic played like a team fighting for their lives. Give them credit. The Celtics didn't lose tonight's game; the Magic won it. Redick was stroking and Nelson hit a couple of big shots. Give credit where credit is due and move on. But the urgency has to be there. They have to close. Game 5, here we come.
JMO
Heard Dickie V today say that the Magic WILL (guy seemed awfully sure about it) become the first NBA team to win four straight after being down 3-0 in a playoff series. Now, I don't think that will happen, but should fans be nervous? Yea they should be a little nervous, anything can happen.
ReplyDeleteway to come up short on every shot in the 4th pierce
ReplyDeleteDick Vitale was a loser of a coach and gets paid big bucks because he acts like an asshead on television. Sign me up.
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