-- The Red Sox announced Monday that right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka will make his first start of the season in Baltimore this Saturday against the Orioles.
After a simulated game last week Manager Terry Francona told reporters that Dice-K threw 69 pitches with some degree of power to his cutter and good spin on his breaking ball. Pitching Coach John Farrell also noted the cutter looked strong, adding that his slider was tight which indicates an increase in arm strength.
Dice-K's return is a welcome one, as all Sox starters, other than newcomer John Lackey, have gotten off to a slow start to the season. If Matsuzaka can come in and shake things up, it could have an infectious effect on the team.
Matsuzaka was kept to only 12 starts in 2009, spending a great deal of time on the DL with a shoulder strain. Dice-K however finished strong in his final 4 starts with a 2.22 ERA.
As Dice-K moves into the rotation, Tim Wakefield has been shifted to the bullpen for the time as Clay Buchholz has been given more time to prove himself worthy of the five-spot amongst Sox starters.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Posts
13 years ago
No comments:
Post a Comment