Can Victor Martinez Rescue the Red Sox?

I know one player cannot do it all, but, I feel the acquisition of Victor Martinez was absolutely critical to the Red Sox even having a good chance to make the playoffs and go anywhere. I've been arguing the Sox needed this calibre of hitter for some time. Well, Theo and his team got it done and they deserve credit.
Martinez is off to a great start. He looks better at the plate than most of the other Sox players. He has a good stance - like he's going to uncoil on contact. Plus, he seems to have a good eye and watches the ball ALL the way in better than some of his teammates do.
So, while VMart is a terrific plus, it seems the rest of the team is undergoing a stressful time waiting for David Ortiz to face the media to talk about his past use of steroids. Big Papi has mysteriously waited much longer than anticipated to make any statement. Last Thursday, following a day game in Baltimore, Ortiz said he'd have more to say as soon as he got some questions answered from the MLB Players Association. Let's hope he does this before arriving in New York before Thursday, when the Sox face the Yankees for a four-game series. The fans and media in NY are unlikely to make this an easy weekend for Ortiz.

In the meantime, the pitching - once viewed as the team's steadiest strength - is suddenly showing a number of serious weaknesses.
1) Smoltz - I've given my views on him. If, somehow, he survives more than five innings against the Yankees, I will consider it a minor miracle. I just don't think Smoltz can last at all against all the Yanks' great fastball hitters when, he now has one of the worst, weakest fastballs I've seen in a long time. I predict he will be shelled, and, of course, I hope I'm dead wrong and Smoltz somehow is inpired as hell to pitch well vs. the Yanks what may be one of his last games ever. 2) Buchholz - Well, having seen him in a few starts, it's easier to understand why Theo Epstein was offering Buchholz in possible trades to Toronto and Seattle - and, probably other teams. Buchholz hasn't progressed as much as people thought and perhaps that's why the Sox left him in Pawtucket for the first half: They might have wanted to hide his mediocrity and project an impression that he was better than he is -- so that teams would have interest in him at the trading deadline. Whatever it is, Buchholz seems to have three big problems: 1) His fastaball command is lousy. (Plus his fastball is "straight" and very hittable, making location even more critical). 2) He's not throwing his curve, which, two years ago, was one of his best pitches - along with his top-notch changeup. What's up with his curve? I have no idea and no Boston sportswriters seem to ask these basic questions. 3) He has a MAJOR attitude problem that leads to a lack of confidence on the mound and hurts his focus and performance. Buchholz doesen't even sound confident in his interviews with NESN between games. As others have noted, when anything goes wrong in the game, he seems to over-react and panic somehow, and things get worse quickly. Buchholz needs more work with his confidence or he'll be unable to improve. I hope he's getting the help right now!
3) Penny - I've covered this. He's always been mediocre at best, and, outright BAD in a number of games. The word is he gets worse in the second half of seasons. That's NOT good. I hope he's out of the rotation at some point, but, maybe he'll surprise me. 4) Wakefield - He is now recovering from a new ailment - sciatica that is affecting his left hamstring. Wakefield told reporters that, when he was in Texas with the team recently, he could barely walk. It sounds like it may require additional weeks for him to even try pitching effectively. Even if he recovers fast, Wakefield has broken down the past two years, and, probably should not be counted on heading into the playoffs.
With Matsuzaka trying to regain strength in his shoulder and arm in Florida and potentially unavailable until September, what other pitchers will the Sox be able to call on?
Hopefully, one of their minor-league pitchers will step into the void and do well.

One last point: A few members of the highly-touted bullpen have quietly become unreliable. Tops on my list of worries is Ramon Ramirez, who has been giving up too many during a bad stretch that has now lasted close to six weeks, it seems. What's going on with him? Is he working with John Farrell to address his problems? When he comes in now, he is a different pitcher than earlier in the year. He leaves many pitches that get too much of the plate (and, get hit, mostly) Manny Delcarmen is in one of his inconsistent periods. I've never understood why Delcarmen's curve ball, which has excellent movement, cannot be used more often and with more effectiveness more consistently. Hideki Okajima, while still decent, has given up more hits in the past month or so.
Then, of course, there is Jonathan Papelbon, who, somehow keeps clinging to a record that does not reflect how he's looked on the mound. I keep waiting for him to blow more saves. I won't repeat my rants on this topic, but, Papelbon's fastball is simply not as good as it used to be. It can be excellent at times, and, to his credit, Papelbon seems to save some of his best heaters for big moments when strikeouts are needed to end a threat. However, he used to have "giddy-up" all the time. Now, he doesn't and hitters foul off pitches all the time OR get hits OR draw walks. A few years ago, Papelbon could throw his electric fastball down the middle and hitters usually swung and missed. Now, he struggles with his location in most outings and struggles to throw just enough well-placed fastballs to survive. I give him credit, but, something is wrong with his arm or he wouldn't still feel he HAD to use this "new motion" he refers to. What worries me is whether Papelbon will be able to repeat these "borderline" performances in September or in the playoffs. I will not be shocked if he starts pitching worse in the last weeks of the season. He has grown arm-weary in other seasons at season's end, and, this time, he'll be tiring after not pitching as well as he used to all year.