Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Red Sox work overtime to avoid sweep
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. The topics: yesterday's long afternoon at Fenway Park, Jonathan Papelbon's recent troubles, Daisuke Matsuzaka's disastrous start on Saturday, and the coming series with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments:
On Papelbon: "I thought he threw the ball very well yesterday. He particularly overmatched the first two guys [he faced]. Ankiel was absolutely no match for Papelbon's fastball when he got it going. I'm more inclined to chalk up yesterday as a bit of an aberration, and perhaps a false first step on Coco Crisp's part to initially come in on Kennedy's ball and then have to scramble back and not get it. That doesn't change the fact that the ball was hit almost 400 feet, but I wouldn't be too concerned about Jonathan Papelbon."
On Matsuzaka: "Certainly when a guy who's been sidelined with shoulder problems comes back and is as ineffective as Matsuzaka was Saturday, it raises some eyebrows. So I think all eyes will be on him Friday night, when he makes his second start [in Houston].
On the Diamondbacks: "Arizona is where it is [first place in the NL West] because of starting pitching. The front two of [tonight's starter ] Dan Haren and Brandon Webb are as formidable as any two in the National League, and Randy Johnson has actually been pretty effective since coming back -- he'll go on Wednesday. ... They may be a typical National League team these days, where offense doesn't play much of a part, but their pitching makes them a team to be reckoned with."
