This Curt Young is a genius! The new Red Sox pitching coach has made two changes to Daisuke Matsuzaka's routine: he throws long-toss and side sessions on consecutive days (not the same day as before) and he is encouraged to 'pound the strike zone'. Wow, is that all John Farrell had to do?Yesterday, Dice-K went 5 2/3 giving up only two runs—and walking only two! As the innings ticked by, it was notable that he was logging a pitch count through 5 that was more reminiscent of a total through 1 and 2/3. This is his second consecutive positive performance.
If this is the real 2011 Dice-K, our rotation (1-5) could potentially be the best in baseball.
(Photo by Boston Herald)