John wasn't out there and wasn't awful, but he obviously wasn't as crisp as we had seen him and as crisp as he was against the Yankees .

John did something that he hasn't done since last year. He would bend but not break. He was good in the early going but it got away from him.

Guys who relied on them are going to have to find alternative solutions. Obviously, some players have leaned on them. There have always been things that players used.

The two walks and the ball in center field that dropped obviously were bigger contributors in that inning than the missed call on the check swing.

It puts Bartolo in a special plateau of pitchers. I haven't seen that many pitchers that can throw it that hard with that kind of movement. He can get three different looks with his fastball.

John Lackey is probably the biggest story. He was terrific for eight innings.