Sometimes we take trips in life to find out certain realities. For the Boston Red Sox, their recent 16,000 mile, three-country trip, may have been such a journey.
It seems the reigning World Champs have logged all those miles to find, with the new season, that life in the American League East may have become more than just the typical battle between themselves and the Bronx Bombers. After opening their year in Japan, they moved on to Los Angeles and Oakland. Then the final leg of their jaunt brought them to Toronto, where they were introduced to a potentially better version of the Jays than they have run into for quite some time.
So, let's take a look at the 4-2 Jays who, by the way, just finished off a three game sweep of the champs. And, in so doing, have now made it seven straight wins, reaching back to last year, over the team that has won two of the last four World Series. One of the "isms" we often hear is that you've got to beat the best to be the best. For the time being the Jays are taking care of that axiom pretty well.
Because of their early winning ways, you might have the impression that this team's offence is finally starting to live up to the expectations placed on last year's gang. But, don't be too hasty in that assessment. A look at the team's offensive numbers, confirm for now, that not much has changed from '07. The '08ers actually trail the previous version of the offense in batting average, slugging percentage, and the very important on base plus slugging stat.
However, big early differences have been the way the guys have taken advantage of driving in runs with key two-out hits, and the timely home runs that have been hit by the heart of the order guys, Vernon Wells and Frank Thomas. It's been the case so far, that when even one of the big guys has a productive game, the team finds a way to win. And the main reason for that has been the tremendous pitching.
Following the great makeover that this staff underwent last year, they turned dismal early ERA numbers into the second best in the tough American League, trailing only the Red Sox. It was an amazing turn-around, and it appears that there's no reason to apply the fluke label. The front four in the starting rotation are simply outstanding, and Jesse Litsch is doing his level best to make it all five.
Even with the absence of closer B.J. Ryan and last season setup man Casey Janssen, the bullpen is simply putting up silly-good numbers. They are the league's standard bearers in ERA at 0.69, allowing one run in thirteen innings. That kind of pitching flat-out dominates the reasons this team has played so well against the games' perceived best, the Yankees and Red Sox.
There is another axiom that has been around the game as long as winning or losing streaks, which says "don't get too high or too low" with some short portion of the 162-game trip. Take a look around and you'll find that the Orioles, White Sox and Royals have gotten off to strong starts, while a prohibitive favorite Tigers team has their shoe laces tied to the starter blocks with an 0-6 first week.
For the Red Sox, the early portion of this year's journey has been long and arduous to once again find their reality as the game's best. For the Jays, their tour won't traverse all the miles as that of the Sox, but it will have its bumps. More effective use of the bats sure would help smooth them out.