…in between strikeouts.

In a fairly nondescript game (Josh Beckett pitched pretty well, but didn’t have those sexy sexy strikeouts that make me love him so well), Wily Mo harshly told Sam Perlozzo that perhaps…just perhaps…Chris Ray is not a five out guy.

I’m pumped my friends, as Wiley Meaux Pena is 260lbs of pure goofy muscle.

Anyway, this game shows the good and the bad of the Man That Was Once Arroyo. He hits the ball hard twice, for a line out into a double play, and then a double. The other time, he swung from his heals at a breaking ball that he couldn’t have done anything with even if he did make contact. The trying to kill everything is what makes Pena just so frustrating, but fun…he might literally make contact twice in a week, but both times the ball is crushed.

And that is what should be gleaned from this game, vis-a-vis Pena’s development. Because of his either inability or unwillingness to lay off breaking pitches out of the strike zone, he’s going to be subject to wild streaks of hotness and coldness.

As a theory, by the way, with no basis other than a hunch, I think Pena just is befuddled by balls with spin on them. He watches a lot of curves and such in the strike zone…more so than other guys that can’t lay off them down and away. I don’t know if it’s just a mental block, or if it’s an eye sight thing, but I am probably going to err on the side of Pena having serious pitch recognition problems, rather than a stubborn adherence to “make ball go smash.”

The other interesting thing is that this is the second time this year that an American League East opponent brought in a highly regarded closer to get five outs in a pressure situation, and both times, the Red Sox offense made them pay for their busting of convention. I personally think this is awesome, because I want teams to see Mariano Rivera and Chris Ray get lit up, and when their team has 1st and 3rd with one out against the Sox, I want them to leave their gun in the holster. Detroit, and Anaheim have bullpens that this wouldn’t work on (Zumaya and Shields are the best relievers in their respective pens)…but I would hate to see Joe Nathan come in early because his manager decides that he can go two innings to stop the Sox.

This weekend is decidedly less intense than last, because, while the Sox went .500 this week, the Yankees still haven’t won since last Thursday. Sox sit in first by three games over Toronto, and the Yankees are tied with Tampa, 5.5 back.
Friday: Matzusaka vs. Pettitte
Saturday: Wakefield vs. Karstens
Sunday: Tavarez vs. Wang /snicker

COMING SOON (This afternoon): My take on Phil Hughes’ first start
COMING SOON (May): Saturday Prospect reports
COMING SOON (May): Weekend Wrapup presented by Eric Hinske & Kappa Epsilon Gamma