Morales tacks on another solid spot-start outing

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BOSTON -- First the win. Now, the Whats next?

Of course, a win is easy to takeas Franklin Morales gave the Red Sox and manager Bobby Valentine Sunday afternoon against the Twins at Fenway Park.

Sunday afternoon at Fenway Park, Morales was able to do what no other starteror any pitcher, for that mattercould do in the four-game series against the Twins this weekend. Win. Morales also stopped the Sox four-game losing streak.

Starting in place of the ailing Josh Beckett, Morales earned the win, improving to 3-2. He went six innings, giving up one run on three hits with three walks and four strikeouts. He threw 106 pitches, 63 for strikes, lowering his overall ERA from 3.32 to 3.14.

In six starts this season, Morales is 3-1, while the Sox are 4-2 in those games. Spanning 32 13 innings in those starts, he has allowed 11 earned runs for a 3.06 ERA, giving up 25 hits and 11 walks with 35 strikeouts.

The win by Morales was also the first by a starting pitcher since Clay Buchholz beat the Tigers on July 30.

He pitched six great innings, Valentine said. When you need some zeroes and lengthIm impressed with way he and catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia used all of his pitches. A lot of changeups, strikes and he threw his curveball. He didnt get many strikes but he threw it effectively. Very impressive.

But now Valentine may have to make a decision.

I like him as a starter. We know that, Valentine said. Right now, I dont think we have to do anything with Franklin or make total determination. I have a tough Texas team coming in and our bullpen is a little wobbly and were a guy short out there and all that good stuff. Well play it by ear.

Deciding whether to return Morales to the bullpen or keep him in the rotation is not difficult, Valentine said. And, an immediate decision is not imperative.

But, its everything else that goes along with that kind of decision that Valentine must take into consideration.

Its an easy decision, Valentine said. We just have to figure out all the other parts. He wants to start and I want him to start and we have to figure out. We cant always count on a guy getting injured so he can get a start. Hes been lights out out there.

Morales has shuttled between the bullpen and rotation this season. He has made 34 appearances in all, getting called to start when needed. The back-and-forth does not bother him, he said.

You know what, I dont thinking too much about that, he said. I thinking inning by inning, hitter by hitter, throw strikes and take the hitter out.

Thats not my decision. I am here for the team, to help the team in any situation the manager needs me and try to take the hitter out.

Morales said he is confident in his ability and his role, whatever that maybe, on the staff.

My confidence is very good, he said. I feel very concentrated with my pitches, with my split finger, with my curveball and my fastball. Its my best pitch and what I do is attack the hitter.

Morales and Saltalamacchia worked comfortably together on Sunday. Although they allowed the first batter to reach base in the first, third, and fifth innings, just one scored. The Twins got their lone run off Morales in the fifth when Alexi Casilla walked to lead off, stole second, went to third on Jamey Carrolls ground out, and scored on Ben Reveres sacrifice fly.

Other than that, there was little the Twins could do with the Sox left-hander.

Same thing hes done all year long, Saltalamacchia said. Came in there, threw strikes, mixing his off-speed pitches for strikes, which is huge. It gets hitters off-balance. They dont know really what to swing at and what not to swing at. He just pitched great.

The 106 pitches were the second-highest pitch count of the season for Morales, behind only 109 in seven innings on June 28, nine appearances and three starts prior to Sunday.

Its real impressive considering that he went from bullpen to starter back to the bullpen again, Saltalamacchia said. Hes been up and down every night. Even Saturday night he knew he was starting today but he still had his cleats on just in case. The guy, to have a mentality like that, to be able to turn a switch and pitch a gem like today is awesome.

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