Red Sox / Orioles - Game 15

Last night the Sox won 8-0 behind a pretty evenly distributed offensive attack and a very good start by David Wells who went 8 innings giving up just 3 hits. The performance by Wells made me think of a comparison:

David Wells - 2-2 / 25.2 IP / 16 K / 2 BB / 3.51 ERA
Randy Johnson - 1-1 / 26.1 IP / 27 K / 5 BB / 5.13 ERA

It looks like the Sox are getting better value out of their 40+ lefty. The people making excuses for Johnson start with the cold weather and then add in his age. None of them state the obvious that the expectations were just too high and that going to the AL hurts a pitcher's numbers and that pitching for the Yankees really hurts a pitcher's numbers.

I've said it all along - Johnson will be lucky to go 14-10 with a 4.30 ERA.

The big hit last night was a three run HR from Jason Varitek but it was Johnny Damon who made the news by shaving off his beard. I'm half way through Damon's book Idiot now and I'll give a report on it when I'm done.

I do think it may be time to bring up a problem I've been observing all season with the Red Sox. That problem is a lack of production out of Kevin Millar. So far this season Millar's numbers look like:

Millar - .267 BA / 6 R / 0 HR / 6 RBI / .424 OBP / .289 SLG

The saving grace is his .424 OBP but if the Sox wanted a decent OBP guy with no pop in his bat they would have opted for the Gold Glove caliber fielding of Doug Mientkiewicz. I'm not saying it is time to push the panic button on Millar but I am saying it is a situation that should be monitored.

Millar is in the final year of his contract and he's not making the case to bring him back. If his slump continues into mid-May - put me at the head of the line of the "give the job to Kevin Youkilis" committee.