Who would have thought it? Two years ago, Sox fans were ready to string John Lackey up in the middle of Government Center. Now he is the star of the team's resurgence, throwing a complete game two-hitter to clinch a playoff spot. Lackey's 10-12 mark belies his performance. His ERA is an excellent 3.44, and he has been quite durable for a man coming off Tommy John surgery. His walks to strikeouts ratio (39 to 156) is among the best in the league.
Lackey's effort underlines the condition of the Boston pitching staff. They would seem to have the deepest rotation of any potential playoff oppontent. As of now, it would appear that Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, Jake Peavy and Lackey would be the four starters. That leaves Ryan Dempster and Felix Doubront in a sort of limbo. It has been said that Doubront, who has struggled lately, might be left off the playoff roster. But the old maxim about never having too much pitching is still true.
Peter Gammons once wrote that the Sox always seemed to respond to this saying by assuring the fans "we should have enough". But two glaring examples in the World Series of 1975 and 1986 belie this. In 75 they started Reggie Cleveland (ERA: 4.43) in game 4 and suffered a 6-2 defeat. In 86, an injury to Tom Seaver necessitated throwing Al Nipper (ERA: 5.38), also in game 4. He went down by the same exact score. The pitching depth of the Reds and Mets were a big factor in winning both Series.
Both Dempster and Doubront have earned a spot on the postseason roster, probably as relievers. Both have experience coming out of the pen, though Dempster has been mainly a starter since 2008. The team has some important roster decisions to make, such as whether to put a base-stealer like Quintin Barry on the playoff team. But the Sox should not waste their pitching depth. For once, they seem to have an advantage there.
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