I Miss April
By Steve Marsi
It was a good month to be in Boston, with spring in the air, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez mired in slumps, and the Red Sox winning six of seven meetings with New York en route to a 15-6 start to their 2004 campaign.
The Sox haven’t been awful since, but their record of 27-26 from May 1 on has left players and fans uneasy. The team is 8-8 since Nomar Garciaparra’s return to the lineup, and 5-5 since Trot Nixon was activated. Mediocrity at its finest. The Yankees, meanwhile, have turned a 4-game deficit into a 5-game lead over Boston with a 39-15 record over the past two months. The Bronx Bombers will be out to avenge their poor April performances against the Red Sox, and looking to distance themselves from their chief rivals during a three-game series beginning Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.
Three games don’t make or break a 162-game season, but this week’s matchups could be defining for Boston. Will the team prove it belongs among the league’s elite, or begin watching its back for the surging Devil Rays? In order to compete with New York, the Sox will need timely hitting, along with quality starts from pitchers not named Pedro and Curt – both scarce commodities in the past few weeks. Despite MVP-caliber numbers from Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz, the team has struggled at the plate with runners in scoring position. Tuesday’s starting pitcher, Derek Lowe (6-6) is improving after a dreadful start to the season, but is still trying to assert control and regain his past form. Tim Wakefield (4-5), who will get the call on Wednesday, has not won since May 23. The Empire will counter with Javier Vazquez and Jon Lieber. Thursday, Pedro Matinez (8-3) will go up against Yankees rookie Brad Halsey in the series finale.
Another storyline unfolding Tuesday will be Garciaparra facing the Yankees for the first time this season. For those residing under a rock, the All-Star shortstop was nearly sent packing by Boston as a result of the team’s efforts to acquire Rodriguez, who later landed in New York. It will be nice to see these two standouts, who have been talked about in conjunction with each other on the rumor mill for months, generating some drama on the field for a change. A rumor circulating recently – no doubt started by agents of the Empire specifically to torment Sox fans – has a disaffected Garciaparra signing with New York next year, to play second base alongside Jeter and A-Rod. Nomar, please don’t give in to the Dark Side.
After losing two of three games to Colorado, San Francisco and Minnesota, the Red Sox finally scored a series victory this past weekend as they bested the Phillies twice at Fenway Park. Martinez and Curt Schilling keyed wins of 12-1 and 12-3, Friday and Sunday, while Philadelphia notched a 9-2 victory Saturday. The Phillies’ rambunctious and fun-loving mascot, the Phanatic, did not make the trip to Boston for the weekend, thus ensuring that Johnny Damon remained the hairiest creature on the field.
