Red Sox Pitching Grades are Solid Despite Month End Meltdown

Had Tuesday night's 11-10 implosion against the last place Baltimore Orioles happened in July instead of in June, the Boston Red Sox pitching staff would have earned Magna Cum Laude for the month.

After weathering a 71-minute rain delay and building the lead to 10-1, and before being replaced on the field by their Triple A affiliates, the pitching staff closes the month with a big check-minus next to their names.

Aside from last night, however, the Red Sox staff has clearly established itself as the premier staff in the American League. The starting rotation, minus Daisuke Matsuzaka, has been solid and the bullpen, minus last night's aberration, has been lights out. 

Should the pitching staff continue to be as solid as it was during the month of June, the rest of the American League East will be looking up at Boston as the summer progresses.

Here are the pitching grades for the month of June:

 

Josh Beckett: A (Last Month: B)

Beckett has once again established himself as the ace he was in 2007. For the month of June, Beckett was 4-1 with 1.51 ERA. He struck out 35 in 35 innings and averaged seven innings per start. He held batters to a .195 batting average and surrendered only .81 WHIP.

For the season, he is 9-3, while he was 7-5 after June last season. In the Sox championship year of 2007, Beckett was 11-2 after June on his way to a 20-7 campaign.

 

Tim Wakefield: A- (Last Month: A-)

What more can you say about Wakefield, who won his 10th game of the year in June, matching his total of last year? The scary thing is that he can lose it as quickly as he gained it. Knock on wood, Wakefield may make his first All-Star game in his 17th season. His last start tied him with Roger Clemens for most games started in franchise history.

Wakefield cruised through June at 4-0 with 3.45 ERA, his game of the month being a 1-0 six inning, three-hit gem against the Atlanta Braves. As long as his back holds up and he doesn't lose the magic of the knuckler, Wakefield will clearly be the best No. 4 starter in baseball.

 

Jon Lester: A- (Last Month: C-)

Lester finally makes the grade that earned him the preseason Cy Young accolades with a 3-1 record and 1.85 ERA for the month of June. After a rocky first two months of the season, Lester has become the skilled corner painter that he was throughout last season's 16-6 campaign.

For June, he was nearly unhittable, holding batters to .189 batting average and striking out 40 in 34 innings of work. He gave up a total of seven runs in five starts, including two complete games.

Most importantly, both Lester and Beckett have established themselves as two dominating pitchers in a very strong starting five.

Brad Penny: B (Last Month: B-)

Penny was only 1-2 for the month of June, but had his best month to date in terms of ERA, posting 3.18 in five starts. Many Sox fans keep discussing Penny's name in trade talks, but at 6-3 pitching out of the No. 5 slot, he has perhaps become too valuable for the Sox to trade.

Matzuzaka's woes may turn out to be Penny's gain, as the Sox log jam in the rotation appears to be taking care of itself. However, if Mike Lowell's absence is longer than expected, Penny may end up being bait to land a corner infielder.

Daisuke Matsuzaka: F (Last Month: F)

Let's hope it's really arm fatigue and not a rattled head. I was unlucky enough to watch Dice-K versus Atlanta and hadn't plopped into a seat before the Sox were down 1-0.

It's funny that I find myself longing for the Matsuzaka of last year. Watching three runners stranded per inning is far better than watching them score. I'd bury him on the disabled list, until unequivocally sure he is ready to return.

Justin Masterson: B (Last Month: C+)

I took some heat last month for a low grade and perhaps it was justified. Masterson was solid minus his five-run implosion on June 30.

His end of the month numbers are 0-0 with 4.38 ERA, however, on days 1-29 his ERA was hovering at 2.00. Unfortunately, in this game we have to count the 30th, as well.

 

Ramon Ramirez: B (Last Month: A)

Ramirez came back to earth after a top notch April and May. He blew two saves and had 3.38 ERA in 10 appearances. Overall for the season, he is sitting at 5-2 with 1.80 ERA.

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.