''But hopefully it's only one game. This team has a history of being pretty resilient."
Indeed, the Red Sox boast a wonderful and colorful history of bouncing back, but the biggest question this morning is: Does Clement have what it takes to follow suit? His second-half struggles have been well-documented (he lost three of his final five starts after losing only three in his first 27), but it was his no-decision last Thursday night that left me with doubts about his mental fortitude in big games.
That regular-season game against Toronto was critical to Boston's postseason chances. At the time, the Red Sox were tied with the Indians for the wild card, down a game to the Yankees in the division, and had already lost two at home to the Blue Jays. The scoreboard showed both New York and Cleveland winning, while Clement was knocked around for four runs and eight hits in five-plus innings. That game will go down as yet another example of why David Ortiz is the best clutch hitter ever to wear a Red Sox uniform, yet the undercurrent to that thrilling come-from-behind win was the fact that Clement came up empty at a critical time.
The lanky righthander's body language said it all that night. He looked, acted, and pitched like he was tight. After each inning, he walked off the mound with his head down and shoulders slumped.
In pressure situations, you need to at least fake a sense of command. Clement was unable to do that last week, and again yesterday.
Offered center fielder Johnny Damon, ''I'm not even sure who our No. 1 [pitcher] is. I thought [Clement] was capable of going out and making guys look silly. But he just didn't have it. He hasn't had it for the last month."
Catcher Jason Varitek believes Clement will bounce back.
''He's been such a big part of our team," Varitek said. ''If we take care of what we need to take care of, he'll get another chance."
