The first week of the season could not have been much better for the Boston Red Sox, as the team finished the week in first place at 5-1, Boston's best start since 1999.
Right now the roster is healthy and everything is going according to General Manager Theo Epstein's master plans. Boston is featuring a nice mix of great pitching, defense and timely hitting thus far in the young 2006 season.
The biggest improvement for the Sox compared with 2005 is the bullpen. Boston's pen was the worst in the American League last season, causing Epstein to bring in a number of new arms in the offseason to help bolster the staff. But these new acquisitions haven't even factored into the equation so far. Instead, youngster Jon Papelbon has almost single-handedly solved the problem.
Manager Terry Francona bravely inserted Papelbon into the closer's role after Keith Foulke's disastrous Opening Day outing. Papelbon does not get rattled easily (his strong performance down the stretch in 2005 proved that), and he features a 94-97 mph fastball with improving offspeed pitches. He wasn't quite as sharp on Sunday as he had been in his first few appearances, but he still notched his third save of the season in as many chances. Papelbon's dominant pitching is the biggest reason for Boston's great start.
Putting Papelbon into the closer's role has also taken some of the pressure off of Foulke. Foulke looked like a slow-pitch softball pitcher in his first appearance, but has fared better in each of his last two outings. Sunday's appearance (one inning, two strikeouts) was a big step in the right direction. Even if Foulke doesn't close, he will still be a very valuable member of the bullpen if he continues to pitch like he did on Sunday.
The biggest surprise thus far is that Boston's pen has thrived despite the fact that the new guys brought in by Epstein and Co. have had zero impact. David Riske, acquired from the Cleveland Indians in the Coco Crisp trade, had one awful outing (one inning, two earned runs). Newly acquired free agent Rudy Seanez has had two horrific outings to go along with a terrible Spring Training. Julian Tavarez, another free agent newcomer, has yet to pitch due to a suspension resulting from punching out Tampa Bay Devil Ray outfielder Joey Gathright in Spring Training.
But the Red Sox's depth, especially in terms of pitching, is the reason they are the favorites over the New York Yankees. If Riske and Seanez continue to struggle, look for Craig Hansen to get the call from AA by late May. Right now the young phenom is on a disciplined program to improve some of his mechanics and refine his offspeed pitches, but his talent is unquestionable. Hansen did not allow a run in 11 minor league innings last year, and he did not allow a run in all of Spring Training. When he gets to Boston, he will make a huge impact.
Boston received even more good news when Curt Schilling had his second consecutive solid outing on Saturday afternoon. The veteran righty pitched seven innings while allowing just two runs. Schilling's velocity was in the low to mid 90s, which is exactly what he needs for success.
The only other concern for Boston's pitching staff was the rough first start for Tim Wakefield, but he too quieted critics with a solid start on Sunday. After getting shellacked by the Texas Rangers earlier in the week, Wakefield allowed only one un-earned run against the Baltimore Orioles in his second start of the year.
Right now, all is right in Red Sox Nation. Boston is playing well, the team is healthy and the prospects in the minors should be able to fill in if an injuries arise. Although the Sox have yet to play any high quality opponents (don't expect to see Texas or Baltimore in the playoff hunt anytime soon), they are well-positioned to remain atop the American League East for the rest of the season.
