Knuckle Curve » daisuke matsuzaka

Daisuke Matsuzaka – Out for the Season?

Stephen Kersey — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:29:02 +0000

A few rumors out of Boston point to star Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka possibly missing the rest of the 2009 baseball season. While sources near the Red Sox deny those rumors, there is certainly smoke even if there is no fire.

In a recent interview, Matsuzaka didn’t exactly stomp out the rumors of him being done for the season.

“If I keep going like this I’m just going to be a burden to this team,” said Matsuzaka to the Boston Herald, “and there’s no way I can keep going like that.”

Currently, Matsuzaka is on the disabled list with weakness in his pitching shoulder. Hisstruggles this season can be traced back to the World Baseball Classic, according to manager Terry Francona.

Matsuzaka’s struggles are apparent in his stats. He has a 8.23 ERA with a 1-5 record. Last season, the native of Tokyo pitched great for the Red Sox — finishing with a record of 18-3 with a 2.90 ERA.

Keep a close eye on Matsuzaka’s injury status. He’ll be shut down for at least a while, however if he struggles when he tries to come back, don’t be surprised if his season is over.

Daisuke Matsuzaka - Out for the Season (Image: Zuma Press)

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Japan Eliminates Team USA in WBC

Stephen Kersey — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 04:48:23 +0000

Japan won the initial World Baseball Classic in 2006. On Monday, they will try to win the 2009 World Baseball Classic after defeating the United States on Sunday night by a final score of 9-4 to advance to the championship game.

Akinori Iwamura Bats for Japan (Image: Newscom)

The night started off well for the U.S. as they scored in the top of the first inning. After Japan tied it at one, the United States went up 2-1 on a David Wright RBI double in the third inning.

However, the wheels came off for the U.S. in the bottom of the fourth. Facing starter Roy Oswalt, Japan scored five times to go up 6-2 and they would never look back.

Getting the win for Japan was Daisuke Matsuzaka. Matsuzaka, who was the MVP of the 2006 WBC, remains undefeated in WBC play. His ERA for this year’s event stands at 2.45 after he gave up two earned runs in 4.2 innings.

In the championship game, Japan will face South Korea after South Korea defeated Venezuela on Saturday.

The 2009 World Baseball classic championship will take place at 9:30 PM EST at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

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Phillies and Red Sox Win Game 1

Stephen Kersey — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 05:55:31 +0000

The Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox drew first blood in their respective championship series. The Phillies topped the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-5, while the Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 2-0.

In the National League affair, the Phillies got off to an early lead and held on late as they won in front of their home fans. The hitting stars were outfielder Shane Victorino and pitcher Brett Myers. In fact, Myers was much better with the bat than he was with the ball as he went 3-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs. On the mound, he gave up five earned runs in five innings. Victorino, who was informed about a death in his family prior to the game, went 2-for-5 with four RBIs.

In the American League, the Red Sox went on the road to Tampa Bay and got a great pitching performance from Daisuke Matsuzaka. Matsuzaka was nearly perfect early on as he took a no-hitter into the seventh inning. He finished with nine strikeouts in seven scoreless innings. Kevin Youkilis went 3-for-4 with an RBI to lead the Boston bats.

To end the game for the Red Sox, Jonathan Papelbon pitched a perfect ninth inning. Here is a video of the never quiet Papelbon after the game:

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American League Cy Young Candidates 2008

Stephen Kersey — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 05:03:22 +0000

5) Mike Mussina, New York Yankees
Although he doesn’t have a legitimate chance to win the award, Mike Mussina has pitched well enough in 2008 to be an American League Cy Young favorite. While many Yankee fans were ready to bury him coming into the season, Mussina responded with a vintage season. He currently has an ERA of 3.57 to go with a record of 18-9.

4) Roy Halladay, Toronto Blue Jays
Another year, another Roy Halladay great season. Perhaps the most underrated pitcher in the entire major leagues, Halladay currently has a 2.81 ERA and a 19-11 record. It took the Blue Jays a while it kick it into gear this season but Halladay has been behind their late season resurgence.

3) Daisuke Matsuzaka, Boston Red Sox
After signing that enormous contract last season, Daisuke Matsuzaka got off to a relatively slow start to his big league career in the United States. However this season, Matsuzaka has been everything the Red Sox wished he’d become. He has an amazing 18-2 record to go with a sparkling 2.80 ERA. If this were any other year, he’d be a great candidate to take home the Cy Young Award.

2) Cliff Lee, Cleveland Indians
Seemingly out of nowhere Cliff Lee has put up ridiculous stats this season. He leads the American League in wins and ERA at 22 and 2.41, respectively. He only has two losses and has been a consistent force for the Indians all season long. Considering that the Indians underperformed for much of the year, Lee’s strong season is even that much more spectacular.

1) Francisco Rodriguez, Los Angeles Angels
The only thing standing between Cliff Lee and the Cy Young Award is Francisco Rodriguez. The Angels closer has had one of the best seasons of all-time for a reliever as he’s amassed a major league record number of saves. To date, Rodriguez has 61 saves and an ERA of 2.31. It’s difficult for relievers to win the Cy Young, but Rodriguez’s season is noteworthy enough that he has a very good shot at taking home the trophy.

Francisco Rodriguez has pitched his name into the record books and Cy Young consideration.

Photo: Newscom

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