I agree,that kid Carmona was squeezed last night in that first inning and it was over after the umpire put J.D.Drew in a hitters count. I'm a Tribe fan and that game was over after that grand slam.
Victor Martinez all year never said a bad word to an umpire so I gotta feel he knew Carmona was getting squeezed. If Westbrook nuts up and gives us 6 innings of 2 run,6 hit ball we win because of our bullpen.
These guys seem to forget quickly....
I was just on the phone a few minutes ago, and that's exactly what I had talked to him about. Carmona with a first pitch that was EASILY on the plate, but was called a ball. When the umpire called 3 more balls, and the plate shrunk to about 12" wide, it was obvious before the 3-1 pitch that the next fastball would be nearly right down the middle to assure getting the call, and it was. When the pitcher is forced to throw down the middle, Triple A and other Minor League batters can hit that pitch.
As I say, with the Red Sox 100-million-dollar-man pitching (he got his ass kicked last game), and Jake Westbrook pitching, sinkerballs will be flying and if the low strikes are not called equally, you will know that the Red Sox will win it.
If the calls are equal, then all bets are off, and it will be a good game of ground balls.