By Joe Haggerty
CSNNE.com Bruins InsiderFollow @hackswithhaggs
BOSTONIts largely been a turbulent ride for John Lackey during his first two seasons in Boston, and it really hasnt seemed like all that much fun.
Looking back now perhaps 14-11 with a 4.40 ERA wasnt all that bad as an opening act for the disastrous first half to his year, but the proverbial worm has turned for the much-maligned Lackey.
The big righty looks like hes having some fun on the mound, and the results are following over the last two months.
He no longer bears the look of a confused hurler scrambling to adjust to his new surroundings, but instead appears more like the Angels hurlersecond half performer Boston thought they had lured to Boston.
With Clay Buchholz down and out with a stress fracture in his back and Daisuke Matsuzaka rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, its between Lackey and Erik Bedard for that all important No. 3 Sox starter spot once the playoff dance begins.
Lackey has made a forceful push forward with the way hes pitched since getting a cortisone shot in his elbow back in June, and that continued Saturday by working his way through the vaunted Yankees lineup for a 10-4 victory at Fenway Park.
Boston Red Sox
The 32-year-old improved to 10-8 by finishing off six innings, and allowed only six hits and three runs to go along with five strikeouts of the Bronx Bombers. He also shut down the legions of loudmouths that decried the one-sided pitching matchup between Lackey and C.C. Sabathia before the two actually went out there and played the game.
Its arguable as to which might have been more enjoyable for the famously defiant big right-hander.
It was a big game, said Lackey. It was a fun atmosphere . . . Ive been around for a while. Ive pitched a few big games in my life. I cant say enough about the offense, man.
He cruised through the first three, but it looked like Lackey might fall back to his evil ways in the fourth frame when the Yankees loaded the bases with nobody out in a tight ballgame. But the towering righty used a running two-seam fastball to induce a Nick Swisher double play, and mixed pitches craftily to guide his way through the heart of New Yorks lineup without giving up the lead to the Yanks.
Then the Sox offense followed by pounding Sabathia for five runs, and the victory march to regain first place in the AL East had begun.
He threw 35 pitches in the fourth inning and really limited the damage . . . which was good, said Terry Francona. He only let them have two runs and that was good.
Sox pitching coach Curt Young got a healthy dose of Lackey when he was the pitching guru for the Oakland Asand Lackey was the ace of the Angels staffand its striking how the hurler has adjusted to the offense-heavy AL East.
Hes relying much more on cut fastballs, change-ups and movement on his two-seam fastball, and its having an effect. It appears the transformation for Lackey is nearing completion, and the 5-0 record and 3.78 ERA over his last six starts are proof positive that its working.
Hes got a little more power to his game," Young said. "His fastball is a little crisper and hes able to do what we wants with his breaking ball: backdoor stuff and bouncing it down-and-in to lefties. His cutter away to righties has really helped him. Its a little bit more of a mix. Mixing speeds and mixing pitches. When he keeps the baseball down he gets a lot of people out. Thats what hes doing.
So is this the guy he saw with the Angels?
Not really. He used to be mainly heater and curveball with an occasional cutter, but I think its a true mix more now, said Young. I think hes doing a great job of trying to keep them guessing, and if he can do that then hes got a chance. Hes tried to change the book on himself by changing what he does with the ball.
The ERA is still 6.14 for the season, but Lackey admitted that the last few months have probably been his most comfortable professionally since moving from Anaheim to Boston.
Its pretty easy to say that after walking off the Fenway mound with victory in hand against the Yankees.
I had a couple of pretty good stretches last year, but . . . I guess. Especially with the timing of it, I guess, said Lackey. Weve had a couple of guys out and we kind of needed it from me. It feels good to contribute. It feels good to be coming up big when we need it.
A satisfactory and winning performance against the Yankees lineupas opposed to offensive lightweights like the Indians, Royals and Mariners that Lackey has dominated during this stretchcinches that Lackeys recent run of effectiveness is no mirage.
Some might not have thought it possible when the season began and Lackey was the punch-line of many jokes, but the pride and grit that helped make him a consistent winner in Anaheim is beginning to shine through. The fact that Lackey has been able to do this while his wife, Krista, wages the battle against breast cancer has touched and amazed his teammates.
Hes been great, man," David Ortiz said. "Hes just a competitor. Hes been having a tough time. Not many people know what hes been through in his mind when hes out there. Hes been dealing with so many things at once. You can see that he wants to have some good results. He tries hard and he wants to compete. He likes the competition. A guy like that, Ill take him on my team anytime.
Not only is Lackey good enough for Ortiz and good enough to beat the Yankees, it certainly appears that hes good enough to fill that vacant No. 3 spot behind Jon Lester and Josh Beckett.
Joe Haggerty can be reached at jhaggerty@comcastsportsnet.com. Follow Joe on Twitter at http:twitter.comHackswithHaggs.