Projo Sox Blog

By Joe McDonald
Journal Sports Writer

NEW YORK _ Red Sox rookie pitcher Justin Masterson has already had a lot of first experiences in the majors this season, and the 23-year-old had another one Saturday.

The right-hander made his debut against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium and was solid during his outing. He worked six innings and allowed only two runs on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts as New York edged Boston, 2-1.

Masterson was all smiles after the game.

"It was great," he said. "I was a little effectively wild than I wanted to be, but that's okay. We kept in the game and guys made great plays in the field. It looked like at the end we were going to put a little something on the board, but unfortunately we fell a little short."

If you didn't know it, you would never be able to tell that he has only nine big-league starts. His demeanor on and off the field is that of a 10-year pro. He's articulate. He's smart. And, he's good. So, just because he was pitching in front of 54,990 yesterday, he was cool and calm.

"I think we expect him to be," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. "I don't think we were surprised. He enjoys pitching, sure it's a first, but because of that it is reassuring because the kid didn't overreact to the situation. We expected him to be okay."

Francona was quick to point out that the rookie right-hander has been tough on right-handed hitters during his minor-league development due to his delivery and movement on his pitches. On the day he pitches, the opposition will load up its lineup with as many left-handed hitters as possible.

In the majors, especially with a lineup like the Yankees, Masterson was efficient and was able to locate for the most part.

"He's done a pretty good job," said Francona. "You're talking about a kid who doesn't have a lot of experience, making adjustments to major-league hitters at the major-league level - it's not always an easy thing to do. Some of the hits he's been giving up to lefties aren't just singles.

"Even with some of the mistakes and inconsistencies, he's giving us six innings and giving us a chance to win," added the manager. "Actually, he's been pretty dominant, and even with the inconsistencies, he's been pretty good. He competes and he likes to pitch. He's still learning. We don't hold that against him because it's pretty exciting."

Earlier in the season when the Red Sox needed a spot start, they summoned Masterson from Pawtucket. He had to settle for a no-decision in his major-league debut against the Angels, and after that game he returned to Triple-A.

When he returned to Boston almost a month later, again for another spot-start, he posted his first victory against the Royals. Again, he was sent back to Pawtucket before he returned again on June 3 and has been part of the starting rotation ever since.

"I didn't really know what to expect because I didn't see him pitch much," said the manager. "You read the reports, and stuff, but he did get here a little quicker than I thought. We have meetings in the spring about guys who could help us, and his name certainly came up. To put a guy in there every five days and have him hold his own, that's a lot and he's done a good job."

 Tags  Justin Masterson Red Sox Terry Francona

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