Beckett's Hideous, Again

The Red Sox gave him a nice extension to his contract a few weeks ago, but Josh Beckett sure hasn't rewarded the Sox. Last night he put the team in a 3-0 hole after one inning, and then a 5-0 one after three. The Sox couldn't get out of the hole and lost to Detroit, 7-4.

I turned to a friend of mine I was watching last night's game with, and after the Tigers scored the two in the third and said, "Beckett's gone."

Gone off one of my fantasy teams, that is. I had enough last night of seeing Beckett destroy my ERA and WHIP categories, so I dropped him last night.

I can only hope that he will make me regret my decision.

Back in the real world, he's now 13-7 with an ERA back over 5.00. His ERA is an absolutely dreadful 12.00 in his seven losses.

This guy's a future ace? He consistently does not give the Red Sox innings, as he's only gone past the sixth inning once since the All-Star Game. I still believe that Beckett is one of the keys to the Red Sox having any shot at playing in October. He must step up his game, and be more of a pitcher. Whereas Jon Lester is still a rookie having made only 13 major league starts, Beckett was counted on to be the number 2 man in the Red Sox rotation. He continues to be a major disappointment this season.

Third base coach DeMarlo Hale was in involved in his first controversal play this season, as he sent Manny Ramirez in on a single last night and he was thrown out at the plate. At first it appeared to be an ill-advised move on Hale's part, but seeing the replay, Curtis Granderson threw the ball towards third, and Hale assumed the ball wasn't coming home. But Carlos Guillen made a terrific play to turn and throw the ball home and Manny was a dead duck, and it short-circuited a big eighth inning for the Sox. Hale has done a fine job as third base coach this season, as like umpires, the best coaches at third are the ones you never notice. He sure hasn't been a lightning rod for controversy the way Dale Sveum was the past two years.

And just when you wanted to like Rudy Seanez...

He pitches a perfect seventh in relief of Beckett, then implodes after getting the first out of the eighth. I saw my friend Michael blessing himself when Seanez came in, and I turned to him and said, "It's time to break out the rosary beads." I don't think even that would have helped. Seanez turns a 5-3 deficit into a 7-3 one. Seanez had been good at home over his previous seven innings, allowing just 4 hits and no runs. But last night he loads the bases and then gives up an RBI single to Vance Wilson. Not one of Theo's more inspired free agent signings.

Pedro Martinez got hammered for six runs in one inning in Philadelphia last night, and later it was announced that Pedro suffered a calf injury he felt while warming up in the bullpen. The Mets can ill-afford to lose Pedro for any extended period of time, although the Mets big NL East lead won't disappear without him. Who knows, maybe if the Mets shut him down for a few weeks it will rejuvenate him for the postseason.

More and more it appears to me that the Red Sox did the right thing by letting Pedro sign with the Mets. He's been a great addition to the team, as he put fannies in the seats at Shea and helped get the Mets to where they are today, to make the Mets relevant in New York again.

I just hope this is just a little bump in the road for him.