Lester

Regardless of how this afternoon’s game ends up, Boston has had a great July. At this moment, after snapping Chicago’s winning steak last night, the Red Sox are now 19-6 for the month. And the remarkable thing about that record is that they played so well with a patchwork starting rotation. With only Beckett to anchor the staff; with an inconsistent John Lackey, an apparently ageless Tim Wakefield, and some journeymen substitute starters, the Sox still managed to pull a couple games ahead of the Yankees, and more importantly, to put some real distance between themselves and the other wild card challengers.

The did this mostly by pounding the ball, by piling on the runs, so that mediocre pitching performances were often good enough to generate wins. In eight games in July alone, Boston scored ten or more runs. They often needed that run production -- for example, when they beat the Mariners 12-8, or the Royals 13-9. Ellsbury and Pedroia were on fire for most of the month. Ortiz and Youk hit well, and Gonzalez, even though he stopped hitting home runs, maintained his average and continued to knock in runs. Even the lower part of the order contributed.

So I was encouraged last night when Jon Lester returned to the mound, and pitched eight strong innings. He had eight strikeouts and a single walk (always a good indicator when that ratio is so high), and gave up only a couple runs on two solo homers. Lester’s ERA is now just a touch above three, and while that’s a full point higher than Beckett’s, it’s still a pretty good number for the AL. A healthy and dominant Lester means that the Sox rotation now features two strong starters, one righty and one lefty. And if they stay healthy, that’s as strong a right-left combination as any American League team. Meaning that, in any five or seven game series, the Nation can depend on good pitching in the first two games. After that, of course, the bats will need to heat up, as they did this past month. But now if Buckholz can get healthy..... OK, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

The priority right now is to stay healthy. The second priority is to find one more starter. Maybe Buckholz comes back; maybe Lackey becomes more consistent (I’m really dreaming now); and the third priority is for the bullpen to settle down. I’m not asking for a miracle here, just for them to pitch more consistently, as Bard did this past month. Then maybe their winning ways will continue in August. Go Sox.

Rosebank 20

Several years back, before the origin of this blog, and before any of us knew much about malt whisky, we took the guys on a Carribean cruise. On one of the decks, there was an area with a series of bars, one right up next to the other. (It’s always useful to have a lot of bars on a cruise ship.) And one of the bars, called Maltings, was a whisky bar.

Despite our general ignorance, we knew enough to know that we liked good whisky, and we had already staked out our respective preferences. John and I were primarily Scotch drinkers; we were beginning to enjoy the pleasures of single malt Scotch whisky. Michael was more a Bourbon man. But that was fine, as Maltings had a fairly impressive listing of all whiskies. And so every evening, right after dinner, we would adjourn to the bar, and order a round -- a flight of whiskies for everyone to taste. And it was on that cruise ship that we first drank Rosebank. It was a Rare Malts bottling; I think it was eighteen years old. We took to it so quickly that every night, late at night, long after Susan and I had retired, John would return to Maltings and treat himself to one more Rosebank. I think they charged all of $8 for each pour.

Now it’s 2011, and it’s no longer possible to find any Rosebank; at least not from any of the usual sources. It’s gone from Keen’s menu; Joe rarely has any in stock at Federal. So imagine how excited I was when G-Man told me that a family friend had brought him a bottle when returning from Scotland. Not only that, but he was bringing that very bottle to Rochester, to share a dram or two.

It was another Rare Malts bottling -- this one twenty years old. Cask strength; 62.3%; distilled in 1981. As soon as the bottle was opened, we knew it was Rosebank -- that big floral nose. We tasted it first at full strength, and despite the high alcohol content, it was still light and fruity, a wonderful lowland malt. But with a little water to open it up, and then a little more water to put out the fire, I found it reminiscent of that first great Rosebank we had drunk while floating through the Carribean. The interesting characteristic of Rosebank is a spicy, almost peppery aftertaste. It’s subtle; one could almost miss it. But underneath the herbal, flowery flavor is this hint of spice, a little kick at the end of each taste. This twenty was also noteworthy for its rich, buttery texture, kind of a soft velvet mouth-feel. Very nice. And a long finish, as you would expect from a twenty year old malt.

We drank a lot of great whisky all weekend; there are many more postings to come. But this one malt was really something special. Thanks G-Man; what could be better than sharing a pour of this favorite malt with an old, old friend?

Drinking 18s for Danny

G-Man came for a visit. And even though he was here for under forty-eight hours, there are so many things to post about. (So little time; so much whisky!!) But first things first.

Danny could not be here, even though G-Man’s visit meant that the Haters Ball, and the Whisky Lovers Ball were going to be held, simultaneously, in Rochester. And worse, Danny was not able to share in the many malts we sampled during G-Man’s visit.

So to make up for that, we tried to drink only whiskies that we felt Danny would enjoy. (I know what you’re thinking: what is the whisky that Danny would not enjoy? But what I meant was, that we wanted to drink whisky that Danny would really enjoy. Okay?) And we made a special point of drinking eighteens. L’Chaim.

Here you see Laphroaig 18, one of the newer offerings from Laphroaig -- that special combination of brine and peat, only made silky smooth and mellow by all that time in the barrel. Then we had the HP 18, always an excellent choice, if not the very best possible all around choice. I mean, how can you go wrong drinking HP 18? And of course, we drank the elegant and elusive Bunnahabhain 18. It’s Danny’s favorite, and really, it’s hard to find a whisky that tops this malt. That buttery texture, and that impossible-to-describe Bunnahabhain flavor, with some mysterious spice that lurks deep inside the flavor of the malt. Yum!

Anyway, Danny, I know you’re stuck in New York right now, but I want you to know you were here in our hearts. Every time we raised one of those 18s, we thought of you. Go Danny.

Neck and Neck

Boston came out of the all-star break with a six day road trip. And while the Sox have had their road woes in years past, not so this year. They took two of three from the Rays, who recently were challenging for the wild card, and then two of three from the Orioles, who presumably were all fired up over the Ortiz-Gregg incident up in Fenway. They are now 28-12 against the always tough AL East. However, despite their road successes, they are still locked in a virtual dead heat with the Yankees, and it looks like things will remain that way for the foreseeable future.

The good news is that, what with Boston and New York beating up on Tampa Bay, the Sox enjoy an eight game cushion over the nearest wild card challenger, even if there is no visible space between them and the Yankees at the top of the standings. It’s always nice to have home field advantage in the playoffs, but they have won it all from the wild card position, as have other teams in the past decade. So really, the big thing is to make it to the post-season; if, and only if they are playoff bound should any of us be worrying about whether they also win the AL East.

Some other good news is that they have managed to maintain winning ways with a patchwork rotation. Andrew Miller won the last game for them, tossing shutout ball for almost six innings. Honestly, I could not have told anyone who Andrew Miller was a month ago; in fact, I still I don’t think I can say who he is. Only that he has bounced around both leagues for the past several years, and has filled in admirably for the Sox, what with most of the starters out with a variety of ailments. Another bit of good news is that Boston continued to win with Papi serving his three-game suspension.

More good news can be found in Carl Crawford’s return to the lineup; not only that, but he was productive in the Baltimore series. So that’s a definite upgrade. Ellsbury and Pedroia continue to play so hot that Boston has had to hire extra firefighters to hang around Fenway as a precautionary measure. And with Reddick playing well, JD Drew has been serving more time on the bench, another upgrade to the lineup. Addition by subtraction. (I can’t wait for his fourteen million a year to get freed up for signing other players, such as the aforementioned Ellsbury.) Anyway, next week, Lester is scheduled to return, and then all they need is a healthy Buckholz, and their rotation should return to normal.

I have been badmouthing the bullpen, but they pitched very well on this last road trip. Bard particularly has been looking good. So I would be more than happy to eat all my words on that topic.

The Mariners and Royals are coming to town, and although neither has been playing well of late --Seattle especially is mired in a long losing streak -- Boston has played poorly against a number of lousy teams this year. Not only that, but King Felix has a long history of giving everyone fits in Fenway. So they need to stay on their game; the bats need to stay hot; Papi needs to stay all fired up; and Lester needs to be healthy. That’s all. And as usual, in closing, let’s just say, Go Sox.

Beckett is Back

He's back. And for the second time this year in the Trop, Beckett tossed a one-hit shutout. Last night, however, even though he went eight full innings, he didn't pick up the win, as it took Boston sixteen - and close to six hours - to push its first run across. And although the pen wasn't quite as good as Beckett, they didn't allow any runs in the eight innings they pitched. So, at around two o'clock Monday morning, Boston added another game to the win column, and left Tampa Bay having won another road series.

That last fact was a big one. The second half of the season opened with a road trip against two AL East rivals. Boston held a narrow lead over the Yankees; and they had to start the second half of the season with a journeyman on the mound. And then things didn't look so great when Andrew Miller gave up a bunch of runs in the first couple innings of the first game of the second half of the season. But thanks to the bats in game two, and then thanks to Beckett and the pen last night, Boston took two of three from the Rays, maintaining their lead over the Yankees. The same Yankees who must now play four games in the Trop; and let's hope they and the Rays split the series, two and two. Let's also hope they Sox play well in Baltimore, which promises to be an emotional series, what with the recent altercation between Papi and Gregg.

The other big news from last night was that Beckett appears not to have suffered anything serious from that hyperextended knee that occurred in his last abreviated outing. I like not only that Beckett shut down the Rays, but that he did not give up a single walk. I think one can tell alot about Beckett's overall performance just from the number of walks he issues. And all season long, he's had three Ks for every walk, with that ratio improving dramatically in his best outings.

Of course, the other key to last night's win was the bullpen, who collectivley performed well above my expectations. Special recognition should go to Aceves, who ate up three of the pen's eight innings, without surrendering a single hit. Even Morales was on for a change, retiring four straight.

So it's on to Baltimore, and the Sox not only want to maintain winning ways, but also take advantage of the Rays-Yankees series, by putting some more distance between them and the next eligible wild card team. The first game of that series is tonight, meaning most everyone will be tired. Except of course Pedroia, who seems to be some kind of incarnation of the Energizer Bunny. Like Ernie Banks, he'd probably like to play two. Go Sox.

Pimm’s No. 1

With the late arrival of summer in western New York, we really didn’t get into the barbeque season until around the July Fourth weekend. But I am now pleased to report that the pit is fully operational, and that we have enjoyed a variety of dishes, both from the grill and the smoker. Plans are to post, somewhat retrospectively, on a few of these specialties, but for now, I want to mention a summertime cocktail that goes well with the barbeque season.

It’s the very old-fashioned, but recently revived Pimm’s Cup, the main ingredient of which is Pimm’s No. 1. Pimm’s has been around forever. (I recall Pimm’s from the old days; it was one of those esoteric drinks that my dad stocked, but sold only on rare occasions.) It originated in London in the early nineteenth century, developed by the owner of an oyster house, who created the drink in order to make gin, which was then apparently quite harsh and unpleasant, more palatable. Over the years its popularity waxed and waned, but it’s now enjoying a resurgence, part of the classic cocktails renaissance, but also perhaps because the brand has been acquired by our favorite spirits conglomerate: Diageo -- owners of Lagavulin, Talisker, and Johnny Walker. Its recipe remains a deep, dark, closely guarded secret, but it’s a light spirit (25%), with a tangy, slightly citrus flavor. Perhaps a touch of bitters in there somewhere.

The Pimm’s Cup, as I was introduced to it by John, and as it’s served most frequently in this country, is a shot of Pimm’s No. 1 in a tall glass, over ice with ginger ale, and a slice of cucumber to garnish. The British, and the official Pimm’s website, recommend mixing the Pimm’s with lemonade, but in honor of our independence, recently celebrated, we drink it our own way, although the ginger ale recipe is also recognized as an accepted variation on the drink. (I think some places serve it with a strong ginger beer, so there are more variations.) In any event, it’s really perfect for a hot summer day -- great cocktail to get things started, for when you’re thirsty, and likely to down the entire glass in just a couple minutes. When a straight whisky, even one chased by a glass of cold water, might be a bit too much. Think of it as a replacement for a cold beer. Now go get that Weber fired up; it’s going to be another hot day.

The All-Star Break

Here is a pop quiz: What are the two days every year when there are no games played in any of the American major league sports? It's not Christmas, and it's certainly not Thanksgiving, a holiday that is now dedicated to watching football. It's not Valentine's day, nor even Purim. No, it's the day before and the day after Major League Baseball's All-Star Game, which everyone will agree turned out the wrong way this summer, giving the National League home field advantage come October. In any event, since today is one of those two days (disclaimer: I wrote this last night, but technical difficulties prevented me from loading it) and since no one has played since Sunday, that gives us a chance to look back on the first half of 2011. Actually, it's more than the first half of the season; we are already ninety games in, with only seventy-two more to play before the end of the regular season.

Right now, the Sox are sitting twenty games above five hundred, playing at just over a six hundred clip. If they can maintain that pace through September, they will certainly end up playing in the post-season. The biggest reason Boston's record is so good is that they have dominated the tough AL East, going 24-10 against their division rivals so far this year. But the funny thing is that, as well has they have played within the division, and as tough as that division is this year (like most recent years), they have underachieved against many of the lousier teams that they have played. They went 0-2 against the lowly Padres; 1-2 against Seattle; and 1-2 against the Pirates, although that may not be a good example, because the Pirates might not be that bad any more. But if Boston wants to end up playing in October, they will have to do better in the second half against teams with losing records. By year's end, I expect that their season series with the Yankees will even out, and to make up for those losses, the Sox have to beat the likes of KC, Seattle and Oakland. And by the way, it doesn't hurt that their road record is as good (actually a bit better) than their record at home this year. In years past, the Sox could dominate at Fenway, but then struggle on the road. This year, home or road, it doesn't seem to matter too much.

The other reason they have played so well is that, after the coldest start I can remember, with half the team hitting below two hundred for the first couple weeks in April, the bats have come alive. Boston is hammering the ball all over the place. They lead the majors in many batting stats: the most runs and hits; the highest batting average, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage. How many games have they scored ten or more runs? So even if the pitching has let them down at times (see below) the bats have more than made up for that. I like that they have power from both sides of the plate. I like that they hit for average all up and down the line-up. If Crawford can get healthy again, I like that they have speed on the basepaths. Ellsbury is having a great lead-off season; Gonzalez and Youk are knocking in runs; Papi looks like the Papi of old. With one or two exceptions (there is an exception to all these observations), there aren't any easy outs in this lineup. One through nine can give opposing pitchers fits.

On the other hand, the pitching, which was supposed to carry the team this year, has been less than spectacular. In part, that's because there have been a number of little injuries, and really, they haven't had an intact starting rotation all season. But beyond that, even when they've had the starters healthy, guys have been inconsistent. Lester has looked great more often than not, but he's had some outings when he gave up a bunch of runs. Same for Buckholz. Both were pitching well, but neither was dominant. Lackey has been far more consistent-- but unfortunately, he's been consistently lousy. Last time out, however, he showed everyone the kind of pitcher he can be, and the kind of pitcher that Boston will need if they make the post-season; but he needs to show us that far more often. Beckett has been the real stopper this year; he is the only guy on the staff with an impressive ERA, and he has been the most dependable shutdown pitcher on the roster. I'm worried about that little knee injury he suffered in his last start. No one seems to be making a big deal about that, but little injuries have become nagging problems in years past. Let's hope that he, and Lester, and Buckholz come back healthy after the break. We don't really need shutouts, not with this line-up. (Not that anyone would kick a shutout out of bed.) But if the starters can just limit the opposition, say hold them to a few runs, on most nights the bats can win those games.

The biggest worry, however, is with the bullpen. Unfortunately, Boston does not have a single reliable reliever this year. Pap has looked good at times, but has also looked terrible at other times. How often has he given the Nation a collective heart attack, putting guys in scoring position before somehow managing to get out of the inning? Or how often has he been handed a nice cushion, only to allow a run or two before closing the game out? I don't see that inconsistency as a recipe for success in the post-season. (Think back to Keith Foulke in 2004. I don't think Foulke allowed a single earned run in the post-season until late in the Series, when it really didn't matter that much any more.) Bard has been the most consistent, and he sports the only respectable ERA among the relievers; but he has converted only one save opportunity this year, meaning that the team really can't turn to him as the closer. Not yet, at least. Albers looked great for a while, but has faltered in the last month or so. Aceves has occasionally looked good in middle relief, but has just as often looked lousy. Plus, there isn't a decent lefty in the pen. So that does not give me a good feeling for October. Remember how great the pen was in 2004 and 2007? Remember fourteen innings of shutout relief in Games Four and Five in the 2004 ALCS? How about Oki retiring seven straight in Game Two of the 2007 series, with Boston clinging to a one-run lead. Who's going to do any of that this year?

Okay. So here's what needs to happen in the second half of 2011. Crawford's hamstring has to heal. And the starters -- Lester, Beckett and Buckholz -- they have to stay healthy. No serious injuries either. And someone has to find some mojo for the relievers. Where is Austin Powers when we need him most? If the Sox can manage those few chores, then everyone in the Nation can enjoy the rest of the regular season. We'll worry about the post-season, and how the bullpen will perform, if and when we get there. Until then, let's just leave it as this: Go Sox.

The Fifteen Million Dollar Man

Last night John Lackey went six and two-thirds innings, and did not give up any runs. It was only the second time all season that Lackey had held the opposition scoreless; and the first time that happened since April. It was an especially welcome performance, coming after he gave up seven runs in less than three innings, putting the Sox in a hole out from which they could not climb, even when they scored seven late runs. So last night, by keeping the Orioles off the board, he allowed Boston to win without having to put up double figures on the scoreboard.

Not that they haven’t been able to do that. They put up ten runs against Baltimore two nights in a row, to start this series. And they’ve managed to score ten or more runs in nine games since the first of June. With all that run production, the Sox have masked the fact that their pitching staff is all banged up right now. Dice-K gone for the season; Lester and Buckholz on the DL. Lackey had his own injury troubles earlier in the year, and Beckett, who has been this year’s ace, tweaked his knee the other night, although everyone seems to insist that he’s fine. So I guess, looking on the bright side, it’s an accomplishment that the Sox are leading the AL East, without a full rotation. And for the most part, notwithstanding Lackey’s nice performance last night, that’s a result of the bats coming alive, and not the pitching.

But this Lackey thing makes me wonder: Is Theo really as smart as everyone says, or could any one of Boston’s knowledgeable fans have done just as well in the free agent market? What’s Theo’s batting average? JD Drew -- five years for fourteen million a year -- that’s a strikeout. Gagne, Jencks, Matt Clement -- out, out, out. Dice-K? Maybe a single or a sac fly, but certainly not a big hit. Since he got Beckett from the Marlins, had Theo picked up a really good pitcher, either on the free agent market, or by way of trade? I mean, he could have hung onto Bronson and Derrick Lowe for a lot less money than he has shelled out, and got just as good a result. Better results I think. Right now Theo looks like a genius again, because Gonzalez is having a monster year, and Crawford had turned his season around, after a cold April. But unless Lackey suddenly turns things around, and keeps shutting down the opposition like he did last night, I’m not convinced.

But on the other hand, so what? Despite the makeshift lineup, Boston is twenty games ahead of five hundred at the All-Star break. If they keep that pace up, they will definitely be playing in October. And if their starters are healthy in October, I think they have a decent chance to play for much of the month. And if their starters are healthy, and Lackey pitches like he did last night...well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. For now, let’s leave it at this: Go Sox.

A New Leaf

I plead guilty; I’ve been neglecting the blog. So I’m resolving to write more regularly. And really, there is lot to write about. The baseball season is approaching the All-Star break and there is much to discuss: the tight race in the AL East; Boston’s league leading offensive production; growing concerns about injury woes; our patchwork rotation; bullpen inconsistency; Papi’s re-emergence; Gonzalez’ monster year; and on and on. How about that fight last night? It reminded me in ways of the famous brawl that began with Tek and A-Rod jawing. And anything that reminds me of 2004 is, by definition, a good thing. So anyway, I should be writing more about the RedSox.

And there is whisky news as well. Susan got me a wonderful malt for our recent anniversary, but that deserves its own posting, and I won’t spoil the surprise. But the news is that this past spring, as we did some renovation work in the kitchen, we built a whisky bar for the family room. Now the malts have a classier and more comfortable place in which to reside. Check it out.

Also, as it’s finally summertime around here, we’ve fired up the bullet, and have been grilling regularly. Last weekend, when the boys were home, we smoked fish, and reaffirmed that steelhead is just about the best thing on the planet to smoke.

Lastly, I think I’ve got to begin posting about wine. I’ve been reluctant to do that in the past, with rare exceptions (for example, the mind-blowing Italian wine dinner last fall), because there are almost thirty million wine blogs already. Who needs another? But ever since Janine persuaded me that one can only drink good wine on this side of the grass, thus allowing me to escape from my life long aversion to pricey wine -- I’ll get into that one later as well -- we’ve been drinking some pretty special stuff. And so, even if millions of other wine-lovers are posting about their love affairs with Rhones or Bordeaux or Barbaresco, why not add my own two cents?

The blog has been around for almost six years. Manny is long gone; and it’s been ages since we were reading Montaigne. But I like the idea of keeping this thing going, and I’m hoping (pledging or resolving is probably too strong for right now; let’s see how I can do over the next month or so) to post more frequently. In the meantime, I’ve got some quail marinating, because I’m trying out a recipe for the upcoming whisky lovers ball. And that will deserve a couple posts in itself. So stay tuned.