John Lackey Shuts Down Rangers as Red Sox Halt Three-Game Skid

Suffering a sweep in the home opening-series at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers was not a reason to panic for the Boston Red Sox. Nor was their 2-4 start to a 162-game season. Yet, the Red Sox needed a pick-me-up to avoid their first four-game losing streak since closing the infamous 2012 season with eight consecutive losses.

John Lackey provided the necessary boost in a dominating outing last night versus the Texas Rangers.

Lackey tossed seven solid innings in Monday’s victory, allowing just one unearned run and five hits as the Red Sox snapped their three-game losing streak. The right-hander has two wins in two starts in the 2014 season after silencing the Rangers’ hitters in the same manner in which he stymied the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday, which helped the Red Sox attain the series victory at Camden Yards.

  Accuracy was at a premium for Lackey, who threw 17 first-pitch strikes to the 27 batters he faced. He threw 95 pitches, 65 for strikes, commanding his fastball (69 percent for strikes) and his off-speed pitches, consisting of curveballs and sliders (67 percent for strikes), with precision.

“I definitely want to pound the strike zone,” Lackey said, via WEEI.com. “I want them to know that I’m going to throw strikes. If you’re going to get me, you better get me quick [in the count] because I’m coming after you for sure.”

Pitching on the same mound that he stood on for the World Series clincher versus the St. Louis Cardinals, Lackey was able to use his aggressive approach on the hill to throttle the opposing batters.

With a 3.41 and 2.77 ERA in the 2013 regular season and playoffs, respectively, Lackey was arguably the most reliable No. 3 starter in the league. Lackey resurgence came a season after leading the MLB with a dreadful 6.41 ERA.

“He's reshaped himself, he's reshaped his approach to the game,” manager John Farrell said, per CSNNE.com. “He set out to change a perception that was formed over the first couple of years here and he had to do it first by his performance on the field. Coming back from Tommy John surgery, putting himself in great physical condition, he's the one who was at the root of that turnaround.”

After two prolific starts out of the gate, Lackey is on to pace to reestablish his status as an ace in the MLB in 2014.