The Sox are now just coming off a much needed but also much expected sweep of the Seattle Mariners. The three wins that the Sox picked up in Seattle were all crucial wins with the race in the AL East starting to pick up with both the Yankees and Rays on hot streaks. The Red Sox split even at 3-3 on their road trip to start the unofficial second half of the season with a pair of sweeps, the first just not in their favor.
Daisuke Matsuzaka continued to pitch very well for the Red Sox improving to 11-1 with opponents hitting just .202 against him in seventeen starts. His strikeout totals are finally on the rise as the Japan native pitcher has whiffed 50 batters in his last ten starts. Surely Matsuzaka's season has opened the eyes of every Cy Young award voter.
Jon Lester went the second game of the series and continued to be the most consistent pitcher on the staff along with being the most reliable. Pitching in front of his home state of Washington, Lester excelled for 7.1 innings. Jon Lester improved to 8-3 on the season and lowered his ERA from 3.38 to 3.20 while striking out six.
The series finale was capped off with the best outing that Clay Buchholz has given the Red Sox since returning from his time at triple-A Pawtucket. Dating back to May 7, Buchholz hadn't pitched longer than five innings. Buchholz snapped that streak but not by much. Hurling 5.1 innings but the quality of the start was what was most important. Clay gave up just three earned runs and walked only two while striking out seven to give the Red Sox the chance to stay in the game and later come out victorious thanks to a three-run inning in the top of the twelfth.
So I heard you guys like pitching match ups? I got one for ya. How does Joba Chamberlain and Josh Beckett sound? Oh sayyy Friday night, around 7:05? Beautiful. Don't let the 2-3 record of Joba Chamberlain fool you, the guy is simply a great pitcher.
He has not given up more than three earned runs in any of his starts so far this season. In his past nine starts he has had the misfortune of seven no-decisions.
Josh Beckett will welcome the Yankees to Fenway Park for a weekend series fresh off a complete game in Anaheim although it was for a losing cause. Beckett fears no team but surely he will be looking forward to this start having posted a record of 3-0 against the Yankees this season with an ERA of 3.92. To make matters even better, he is 5-1 at Fenway Park this season. Expect a quality start out of Beckett with the pressure on. Basically you can expect a quality start out of Beckett almost any night, he has gone at least six innings in ten of his last eleven starts leading up to Friday night's showdown.
Oh and PS, remember that guy uhh...what's his name again...oh yeah, David Ortiz? He'll be in the lineup on Friday. Expect Jacoby Ellsbury to be dropped from the leadoff spot to possibly the nine slot with Ortiz hitting third. Chances are you will see Dustin Pedroia bumped up the the leadoff spot, maybe even Youkilis. Regardless, Ortiz is back and he could not have picked a better time to return to an already lethal lineup.
-Jared Carrabis
