Red Sox 07 game 108

			@
J. Guthrie		7-3, 2.89		T. Wakefield		12-9, 4.59
Orioles		50-56		Red Sox		65-42

Thursday, August 2    Fenway Park ✠ 1.05 PM ET

American League

East	W	L	GB	L 10	X W	X L
Boston	65	42	-	7-3	66	41
New York	58	49	7.0	7-3	65	42
Toronto	53	54	12.0	6-4	56	51
Baltimore	50	56	14.5	7-3	54	52
Tampa	41	66	24.0	3-7	40	67

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From MLB.Com Scouting Report

Orioles: Guthrie has emerged as one of the league's biggest surprises. He has won each of his past three starts, against the Mariners, A's and Yankees, and had a combined ERA of 1.89 in those three games.

Red Sox: The veteran knuckleballer has picked up a decision in all 21 of his starts. Wakefield went 4-1 in his five July starts. At Fenway this season, Wakefield is 7-4 with a 5.48 ERA. This is his first appearance in 2007 against Baltimore. In his career against the Orioles, Wakefield is 13-13 with a 4.07 ERA.

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

Sox Batting vs Guthrie

Player	AB	H	2b	3b	HR's	RBI	BB's	K's	BA
J. Lugo	7	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0.000
K. Youkilis	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.000
D. Ortiz	3	1	0	0	0	1	1	0	.333
M. Ramirez	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0.000
J. D. Drew	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.333
M. Lowell	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.000
D. Mirabelli	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.000
A. Cora	4	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	.500
C. Crisp	3	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0.000
Totals	25	4	1	0	0	1	2	3	.160

Most of these at bats came from the mothers day game of this year. That was one of only six come back wins when the Sox trailed by three or more runs so, far this year. I put Cora in this game due to him being a left handed bat, especially since Guthrie has been brutal against right handed batters this year, as he has held them to a .202 batting average. I would think that since the Sox faced him earlier this year that they should have a better idea on their approach. Still he is tough so look for a low scoring game.

Pitching Comparisions

Pitcher	GS	W	L	Sho	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP	IP/GS
Guthrie	1	0	0	0	10 1/3	5	0	1	2	4	.87	.68	8 1/3
Wakefield	29	13	13	0	212 1/3	202	96	31	72	133	4.07	1.29	6.43

Guthrie has made two appearances against the Sox, one as a reliever back in April of 2006, in which he went two innings and only allowed the two hits and the one home run. The man is nasty and his first start vs the Sox proved that. If not for a stirring come back in the ninth he would had his first win vs the Sox.

Wakefield has made a total of 42 appearances vs the Orioles and really has a decent record when he has faced this team. As a starter he is 11 and 11 with a 3.96 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. That is not great but it is decent. Don't be surprised if this is a nail biter.

♊ - When all else fails, get a bigger hammer!