World Series encores for Garza and Price?
Posted: Tuesday, October 21, 2008 11:32 AM
At least for me, Game 7 of the ALCS was like 1991 revisited: Matt Garza of the Rays (traded to Tampa Bay from Minnesota last offseason) plowed through the Red Sox lineup for seven-plus innings. His performance had me flashing back to Game 7 of the 1991 World Series when a 23-year-old named John Smoltz of the Braves threw seven shutout innings against the Twins in a raucous Metrodome.
History shows us there was no reward for Smoltz that night thanks to Jack Morris. Smoltz combined with two Atlanta relievers to allow the Twins but one-run over 10 innings. But Morris found a way to top that – and oh, did he ever! He never handed over the baseball, throwing 10 shutout frames as the Twins prevailed, 1-0, to become world champions.
For Smoltz that game launched a career that should land the righty in the Hall of Fame. As for Garza, he grew up before America Sunday night. His temper and bucking instruction caused Minnesota to trade him. His temperament in a confrontation with Tampa Bay catcher Dioner Navarro this season forced the hand of Rays manager Joe Maddon. And Maddon again showed his stuff by working through the problem with Garza, whose temperament and approach to pitching have markedly improved since his sit down with Maddon.
Now Tampa Bay has "Big Game James" Shields, a 14-game winner this season, to go with a righty-lefty pair (Garza and Scott Kazmir) of stud starters for years to come. And Garza could pitch another Game 7 this autumn – the one that decides the World Series.
Garza isn’t the only pitcher to have opened eyes against the Red Sox. The last arm I would have expected to finish the ALCS-clinching game for Tampa Bay was that of David Price, the team’s No.1 pick in the 2007 draft. This kid found himself in the kind of moment that makes closers -- the moment that has made Mariano Rivera the greatest in that role in baseball history, the moment that has eluded Francisco Rodriguez, the moment that made Adam Wainwright when he froze Carlos Beltran in the 2006 NLCS and the moment that eluded Trevor Hoffman in his lone World Series (1998).
Price is just 15 months removed from college but he stood tall with the atmosphere electric and the tension just about overwhelming. He fired 97 mph fastballs and 87 mph sliders past the Red Sox hitters (with the help of a generous third strike call on J.D. Drew with the bases loaded to end the eighth).
The choice to go with Price, who has all of five games and 14 innings of major league experience, was vintage Maddon, defying conventional wisdom. The Rays manager was so spot on afterwards when he said of using the rookie to realize a triumph that seemed but only in Tampa Bay’s wildest dreams back in April, “it’s about talent and makeup too.” Boston had pounded the other arms in the Tampa Bay bullpen (no way was Grant Balfour pitching in Game 7) and Price did not have his fingerprints on the Game 5 collapse.
Price could next take center stage out on the hill before a World Series audience worldwide. He didn’t shy from the moment in the ALCS and that bodes well if Maddon calls his number again in the Fall Classic.
FOUR MORE SWINGS:
1. WATCHING THE NINTH INNNING OF GAME 7 OF THE ALCS…had to jolt the Red Sox. A fabulous comeback to stave off elimination that began with a most improbable rally to win from a 7-0 deficit with just seven Boston outs left in Game 5 and then carried over to a Game 6 win inside the enemy’s dome was down to its final breaths on Sunday night.
And the three scheduled hitters in the Boston ninth – those who needed to begin a comeback from being down two runs and jump start another Red Sox rescue from the brink of elimination -- were Mark Kotsay, Jason Varitek and Jed Lowrie.
How much hope could Red Sox fans have in those sticks? How many of the Boston faithful were at that moment longing for the lumber of Manny Ramirez, Mike Lowell, David Ortiz and Kevin Youkilis? And was Red Sox Nation wondering about the Boston bench? Where were the late-inning alternatives to send to the plate?
This is partially unfair. After all, the numbers tell me the Red Sox were second in the AL in runs scored, even without Ramirez for the final two months and Ortiz for two months in the middle of the season. And the Red Sox did hit against the Angels in the ALDS.
But at the biggest moment of their season Sunday night Boston was going down with less than its best. Kotsay is a good player but no threat (.630 OPS) against lefties. Varitek is a shadow of his past offensive self and Lowrie is a rookie.
Trying to close out the game, David Price, a 23-year-old southpaw thrust into a huge spot ended up not fearing the challenge nor did he fear the Red Sox hitters in the ninth. And Boston manager Terry Francona had no real options on his bench as both Jacoby Ellsbury and Sean Casey are left-handed hitters.
Is this something Boston general manager Theo Epstein has to address in the offseason? You bet it is. The Red Sox still have Ortiz and he hit in the eighth inning. But does a lineup with Dustin Pedroia as its No. 2 threat work for the long term and in the postseason?
2. MILWAUKEE CONTINUES TO SURPRISE…as the Brewers have dumped Dale Sveum after the unprecedented late-season managerial change that saw Sveum get the Brew Crew into the playoffs. Now management says it wants experience at the helm. General manager Doug Melvin, who disagreed with the owner on firing Ned Yost, has agreed to stay. And the owner says they will bid aggressively for CC Sabathia, despite the obvious interest of the Yankees and Sabathia’s desire to pitch near his California home.
3. THE PLAYOFFS MEAN QUIET FROM MOST FRONT OFFICES…but the first free agent signing is imminent. In this case it is the re-signing of second baseman Mark Ellis by Oakland. And watch to see A’s GM Billy Beane (Brad Pitt in Moneyball?) gauge interest in former Rookie of the Year shortstop Bobby Crosby.
4. THE JAKE PEAVY WATCH… is starting to heat up. Peavy would love to go to Houston and work with good pal Roy Oswalt. Can Houston afford two pitchers of that salary class? And Atlanta’s fan base is energized (important after a horrid finish and tons of apathy) over bringing in Peavy, who hails from Alabama. This is a test of the John Schuerholz-Frank Wren built farm system: Do the Braves have the young talent needed to pry a young Cy Young winner from San Diego?
