Beckett Too Tough

Game Date: April 4, 2007
Red Sox 7, Royals 1 / Box Score
WP: Beckett (1-0), LP: Perez (0-1)
Royal Home Runs: None
Royals Record: 1-1

Eight walks. Royals pitchers issued eight walks to one of the best hitting teams in baseball. The result wasn't good. Nobody will say that Odalis Perez was sharp, but I don't think anybody expected him to be sharp after having blister problems the past couple weeks of Spring Training. After giving up three runs in the first, he settled down and did a reasonably good job. But you can't discount the three runs in the first.

Joakim Soria followed him by walking a guy. Todd Wellemeyer walked three, and gave up a two-run bomb to Kevin Youkilis. Ryan Braun came in and walked a guy and gave up yet another run. And for some reason, Bell brought in Jimmy Gobble to pitch the ninth in the middle of a blow out.

At the plate, the Royals were outmatched by Josh Beckett. One particular at bat by Grudzielanek stands out in my mind. Beckett had been coming at Royals hitters with hard stuff. I think it was the second time through the line up when he started Grud with a curve ball for a called strike. Then he threw another curve ball for a called strike. And then he busted him inside and easily got him out. Impressive.

Grud wasn't the only guy who had problem with Beckett though. Alex Gordon looked baffled. Sweeney didn't do anything against him. Neither did DeJesus or Pena.

Let's hope game three of the series goes a little better for the Royals. Zack Greinke will go against Daisuke Matsuzaka, or Dice-K.