Red Sox 07 Game 66

Friday, June 15                Fenway Park  7:05 PM ET
Barry Zito, LHP (6-6, 4.02)
Giants (30-35)

Vs.

Julian Tavarez, RHP (3-4, 5.25)
Red Sox (41-24)

American League

East	W	L	GB	L 10	X W	X L
Boston	41	24	-	4-6	39	26
New York	33	31	7.5	9-1	38	26
Toronto	31	34	10.0	5-5	33	32
Tampa Bay	29	35	11.5	6-4	26	38
Baltimore	29	37	12.5	2-8	33	33

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From MLB.Com Scouting Report

Giants: Zito has won three starts in dominating fashion sandwiched by two awkward losses to his former team. He lost in Oakland on May 18, giving up seven runs in four innings. Over the next 20 innings, Zito gave up one earned run. In losing to the A's in San Francisco on Saturday, he allowed three earned runs on nine hits over four innings.

Red Sox: Julian Tavarez continues to keep the Red Sox in just about every game he pitches as the No. 5 starter. In his last outing against the Diamondbacks, he yielded three runs over six innings, walking one and striking out five. In fact, Tavarez has allowed three earned runs or less in six of his last eight starts. Tavarez pitched for the Giants from 1997-99. Lifetime against his former team, he is 2-3 with a 3.62 ERA.

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
D. Pedroia	3	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	.333
K. Youkilis	7	2	0	0	0	1	2	1	.286
D. Ortiz	24	10	3	0	2	5	1	2	.417
M. Ramirez	25	5	1	0	3	7	10	2	.240
J.D. Drew	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
M. Lowell	9	2	1	0	0	0	0	1	.222
J. Varitek	25	6	2	0	0	5	3	4	.240
C. Crisp	18	5	2	0	1	5	0	5	.278
J. Lugo	15	3	0	0	0	1	0	0	.200
Totals	126	34	10	0	6	23	16	15	.270

Everybody on the team but Drew has faced Zito, which is good news. As last night proved its those unknown pitchers, especially left handers that give this team trouble. For the season now, the Sox are 10-9 vs lefties. So, the hitters have good numbers vs Zito with hope of success, want to bet that they go 0 for 27 tonight? The last two weeks have been ridiculous.

Historical Pitching line

Pitcher	GS	W	L	Sho	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
Zito	13	5	5	1	79	84	42	10	35	58	4.78	1.51
Tavarez	2	2	3	0	27 1/3	24	11	3	11	20	3.62	1.28

Tavarez has faced the Giants 13 times since 2000. Only 12 of those innings were as a starter. Both starts were good starts, just not quality starts as he only allowed 5 earned runs in those 12 innings. This is also the umpteenth time this year that Tavarez has faced the opposing teams Ace. The question is not how Julian is going to pitch but how the freaking offense is going to perform.

Zito has been an up and down pitcher vs the Sox. When he has been good he has been very good, when he is bad he has been very bad. At Fenway he averages 6.2 Innings per game with a 4.65 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP. His last three starts at Fenway he has averaged only 5 innings.
Chow!