Red Sox 07 Game 48

Saturday, May 26      Arlington   8:05 PM ET
Tim Wakefield, RHP (4-5, 3.14) Red Sox (32-15)

                        @

Vicente Padilla, RHP (2-6, 5.52) Rangers (18-30) 

AL East Standings

Team	W	L	GB	L 10	X W	X L
Boston	32	15	-	6-4	31	16
New York	21	25	10.5	4-6	25	21
Toronto	21	26	11.0	6-4	23	24
Baltimore	21	27	11.5	3-7	23	25
Tampa Bay	19	28	13.0	4-6	17	30

ESPN.Com preview should be here.
Yahoo's preview should be here.
The recap after the game will be here.
From MLB.Com Scouting Report
Update: MLB.Com Press pass here.

Red Sox: After getting off to a terrific start, Wakefield has struggled of late. Over his last two starts, Wakefield has been touched up for 11 runs over 12 innings. Pitching at Texas might not be the best remedy. Lifetime against the Rangers at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Wakefield is 4-11 with a 5.63 ERA. However, he was solid in his start at Texas earlier this year, giving up three hits and one earned run over six innings of a tough luck loss.

Rangers: The Rangers won for only the second time in Padilla's 10 starts this season when they defeated the Twins, 14-4, on Monday. He is now 2-3 with a 5.05 ERA in his last seven starts. This will be just his fifth start at home, where he is 2-2 with a 3.04 ERA. Opponents are hitting .229 off him with runners in scoring position. He is 1-2 with a 4.70 ERA in five career games, including four starts, against the Red Sox.

As usual all statistics were found at the day by day database at Baseball Musings and this year at Baseball Reference.

Expected Batters vs opposing starter

Player	AB	H	2b	3b	HR's	RBI	BB's	K's	BA
J. Lugo	5	2	0	0	0	0	2	0	.400
K. Youkilis	7	2	1	0	0	0	1	1	.286
D. Ortiz	10	4	2	0	2	5	2	0	.400
M. Ramirez	11	1	0	0	0	0	0	4	.091
J.D. Drew	17	7	2	0	1	4	3	3	.412
M. Lowell	35	7	3	0	0	6	2	3	.200
D. Mirabelli	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
C. Crisp	10	6	1	0	0	0	0	0	.600
D. Pedroia	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Totals	98	29	9	0	3	15	9	11	.296

Some good history here for the Sox batters. Only Manny and Lowell have really struggled against him in the past. Mirabelli basically has faced him only one game. Would not be surprised to see Cora play since he is 6 for 18 (all singles) against Padilla. Hinske, and Wily Mo are a combined 1 for 8 (Hinske) so I do not expect them to replace anybody in the outfield.

Historical Pitching line

Pitcher	GS	W	L	Sho	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
Wakefield	22	7	14	0	140 2 /3	157	92	24	55	113	5.89	1.51
Padilla	4	1	2	0	23	25	12	3	6	20	4.7	1.35

As a starter only Wakefield actually does not improve against the Rangers. In 22 starts he has 9 quality starts and has went 6 innings 15 times. His record as a starter is 7 and 12 with all other numbers being fairly close (5.89 ERA). Will the struggles continue for Tim?

Padilla's last three starts vs the Sox have all been quality starts (3 total in 4 games started). He has went six innings, seven innings, and seven innings giving up a total of seven runs (3.15 era) His record is 1 and 1 in those contests. That to me is surprising when you look how the team has batted against him.

From the Boston Herald:
Wake on tap

Tim Wakefield [stats] will be looking to change his recent fortunes against the Rangers when he opposes Vicente Padilla tonight.
The knuckleballer is 7-14 with a 5.89 ERA in 29 career appearances against the Rangers, including 4-11 with a 5.63 ERA in Texas. Wakefield allowed only two runs (one earned) on three hits in six innings in Texas on April 6, but he took the loss when the Sox were blanked, 2-0, by Robinson Tejeda and two relievers.
Wakefield is 1-4 with a 5.46 ERA in five starts at Texas since the start of the 2004 season.

See you at 8:00 Chow!