Red Sox win, Phil Hughes doesn’t know where his fastball velocity went

“For whatever reason it’s coming along slowly,” Phil Hughes said. “It’s kind of a helpless feeling.”

Phil is right. He hasn’t helped one bit in his first two starts of 2011. In fact, he lost both games and looked awful losing them.

Scoreboard Says:
Red Sox 9, Yankees 6
Win: John Lackey
Loss: Bartolo Colon
Save: Jonathan Papelbon

Hughes Trouble:
Mr. Hughes made it through just two innings and allowed six earned on seven hits while walking two and striking out zero. His fastball velocity is down 3 mph from last season. Via LoHud: “He and pitching coach Larry Rothschild believe it’s an arm strength issue, not a medical or mechanical issue.” That’s odd.

Robby & Gardy Provide Offense:
Robinson Cano drove in two runs on two doubles and Brett Gardner reached base four times (double, triple, two walks).

A-Rod Goes Boom:
After blasting No. 616 today, Alex Rodriguez is just 14 homers shy of Ken Griffey’s career mark.

Game Ball:
Gary Tuck, the Red Sox bullpen coach, gets today’s game ball. His crew delivered four spotless innings against the Yankees, allowing just three base runners.