Clubhouse Insider - Lou Merloni

It's the Sox and Sox from Chicago this is the Herb Chambers on the pregame show and it's time for the clubhouse insider -- WEEI dot com -- Blue socks and socks from Chicago tonight and two teams that when they met each other fairway last week looked like they were going to completely different directions now Red Sox carry that through in Tampa Bay. White Sox I'm sure where they are right now.

Is there a tricky team physician you think there with the white flag in the trade Jim Thome to go to two out of three from Minnesota. They commit and put four on Joe Nathan in ninth to win a ball game was a Minnesota team that still felt like there in this and so. I think people have to be careful on saying no this teams are equally and this is a pretty good ball club with some pretty decent pitching can be seen this so this four game series with a very potent lineups still even without June 2 home and so. They're dangerous team there's no question about. Detroit's point Tampa Bay tonight you've got Minnesota in the next but that's central division when you look at those teams there isn't one team that says say they're pretty good nobody -- catch. No there really hasn't -- that this operator I think he's really Detroit when he look at Justin Verlander Edwin Jackson with him and thrown baseball. A Chicago actually their line immediately with better -- question their starting pitching. It really is up for grabs in Minnesota as a team -- that being QB there is that the inconsistency in their starting pitching. I think he's been their downfall and have been able to overcome that it's still kind of up for grabs really with the but Detroit kind of in the driving -- the spoiler --

Paul Byrd was certainly a pleasant surprise that might be a bit of an understatement for the way he pitched in his first time out. Is there any realistic expectation for in the mean we saw how good he looked in that first start how money looked down the stretch we were little now.

No you don't. Yeah it's kind of tough neagle and into the game he had right off the bat to think he's going to continue that kind of success. Could he fall back into the six innings three runs I think that's good enough I think we can expect here's a guy that. Is not going to walk many guys she's going to try to missed barrels -- bottom of the plate. He's gonna sink the ball is going to cut the ball change speeds. And thinking brings an awful lot to this rotation inking its own to give them six and give him innings here down the stretch. Keep this team in the ball games that line at the -- come around. I think he can really BM a big piece on the stretcher for the -- a Wednesday night we saw essentially two different Josh Beckett -- the first couple innings and then. In the last four innings or so when you see from Josh Beckett right now what did he do wrong what's doing right. Well I think early on. You know he's not walking guys he's just wild within the strike zone and you know he's the -- the ball in historic ball away in the to pull the ball away he's missed -- in. But the homers to me is somewhat -- now I've seen a lot of hanging curve balls and fastballs Dynamo play where guys at least in the gap for doubles or at least the left field for singles. They just happen to be home runs right now and it's almost like a little Rudnick said maybe somewhat -- but. You want to seemed you'd really down on top of the baseball again that two -- want to get some more -- action pictures left to right you receive the sink and I think could help with his curveball more top to bottom. Lot of people speculating maybe this guy is tired he hasn't had a break all yearlong. -- worldly rest him I think that's going to be tough to convince Josh Beckett that he needs a rest so. I think he's he's going to try to figure this thing out on the mound. Long barring no injuries and still really not too worried about him I think you'll fix it up if -- having -- you talk about -- we've heard Terry Francona and John Farrell talked about -- kind of throwing through the movement -- paid those pitches. Reaching back for little extras the velocity. Too much for the movement on his pitches well not have been a lot of guys will throw. You know until ball hard and still -- movement I think for him maybe they're talking about the effort is there you know. When dusty came back here used little ball 9394 but the effort to get the ball there ethic was more. More than they -- I think maybe that's for Josh Beckett is now you know maybe there's too much effort to keep the velocity where it is. Sosa maybe didn't. Who knows maybe do give this guy blowing him a little bit of break but. I think he gets a double -- ball Jones -- talk about many times Saint Paul on the backside. In getting thrown ball on the downward plane in the bottom of the strikes I think that is still the key no matter who you -- Keeping the ball down -- starter after last season most are hesitant to count out Tampa today but raced on. Yes and -- have difficulty they need to have that game you do in the needed two out of three. They do three more here with the Red Sox but knowing that leap of the Red Sox but he's also have Texas Rangers in the mix. It's just not the same team you know it there's very good team. I just think the Red Sox and Yankees are better equip their better ball clubs. I'm thinking oh this is certain things that they couldn't overcome this year and and hectic any signs there is an example of what was great about them last year and this year I was really struggles and I think overall in general it was a great story but. I just think that Iran again -- with this year and Luke thanks is always to talk to assume you're getting him.

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