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| (PHOTO: Evan Vucci / AP) |
While the exasperating 3-2 loss to the Tigers on Opening Day laid bare a slew of Red Sox deficiencies, you can't really fault the moves made by new manager Bobby Valentine. As
WEEI.com's Alex Speier points out, all of the strategic and tactical moves could easily be justified by the circumstances facing the new skipper at the time. For example, he brought the infield in at rational spots to prevent falling further behind the ridiculous Justin Verlander. Down 2-0 in the ninth, pulling A-Gon for a pinch-runner was a good idea—we all know our first baseman is a slug on the base paths.
Brining in Melancon to start the ninth made sense—given the righties due up and the general rule against bringing your "closer" into a tie on the road. Sticking Aceves in a big jam in the same inning could be questioned, but he had little choice at that point.
If criticism is to be leveled, it should be focused on not making Bard the closer and sticking Aceves back in the rotation. That makes sense—and, frankly, may be the ultimate solution (sooner rather than later) to ThumbGate.
