(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
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So, although this was his toughest month, he has still been a great acquisition for Theo and the bullpen. Especially since Coco Crisp (the man he was traded for) is on the disabled list.
Manny Delcarmen: B (Last Month: A+)
The pride of Jamaica Plains also had his toughest month of the season, although 1-0 with 4.00 ERA is tolerable. For the season, he is 2-1 with 2.03 ERA. If we go back to Aug. 31 of last year, Delcarmen is 3-1 with a 1.60 ERA (eight runs in 46 innings of work).
Takishi Saito: B+ (Last Month: A)
Saito took the loss in the June 30 collapse against the Orioles, but for the rest of the month was solid. Month end figures 2-1 with a 3.72. Batters hit only 1.88 against him, but six walks in nine innings affected his overall numbers.
Hideki Okajima: B- ( Last Month: A+)
Okie also suffered in the June 30 game, giving up four earned runs in just 0.1 innings of work. That will do a number on one's ERA.
Prior to that, he had given up only two runs since April, pitching nine innings in June and a shutout in May on 12.1 innings tossed. He has 15 holds for the season to lead all Sox pitchers.
Daniel Bard: B (Last Month: A-)
Bard got a little taste of reality in his June 14 game against the Phillies (giving up four runs in 0.2 innings), and against the Nationals on June 25 (giving up two runs in one inning). For his other 10 innings and seven innings, he threw shutout ball. Maybe he should take the interleague season off.
For the month he ended at 0-0-1 with a 5.40 ERA. The save was the first of presumably many in his career.
Jonathan Papelbon: A (Last Month: B+)
With a record of 1-0, six saves in seven tries, and a minuscule 0.75 ERA, one can't ask for much more. Add in the fact that he tied Bob Stanley for the Red Sox all-time save leader (surpassed in July) and it was a pretty solid month for Paps.
The one blown save? Of course, in the melt-down against the Orioles on June 30.
John Smoltz: Incomplete
Smoltz gave up four runs in his first inning against the Nationals and two runs in the subsequent eight innings. Unfortunately, the four-inning shutout stint against Baltimore was shortened by rain resulting in, yes, the bullpen meltdown of June 30.
We'll grade Smoltz for July and I suspect the professor will like what he sees.
Overall Grade: B+
The pitching carried the team to a solid month despite some mediocre hitting. The Sox staff has consistently gone six to seven innings before turning it over to an effective pen.
With Dice-K down and Smoltz rounding into form, the summer could be long for opposing hitters. Look for July to be more of the same and I predict a six game lead by Aug. 1.
Todd Civin is a supporter of "A Glove of Their Own" and Good Sports Boston. Visit the website at www.agloveoftheirown.com and purchase the book using donor code GSC133. The book is the heartfelt story that is sweeping the nation and teaches our kids to pay it forward through baseball.
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