Red Sox 07 Game 148 Preview

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A. Pettitte		13-8, 3.78		D. Matsuzaka		14-12, 4.44
Yankees		83 - 63		Red Sox		89 - 58

Friday, September 14  Fenway Park  ✠ 7:05 PM ET

American League

East	W	L	GB	L 10	1 R W	1 R L	X W	X L
Boston	89	58	-	7-3	22	22	92	55
New York	83	63	5.5	7-3	13	18	87	59
Toronto	73	73	15.5	3-7	26	24	77	69
Baltimore	62	83	26.0	3-7	11	28	65	80
Tampa	61	86	28.0	5-5	20	17	61	86

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From MLB.Com Scouting Report

Yankees: Pettitte continued his incredible second half with another strong performance Saturday night against the Royals. He allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings and earned his 13th win this season. Pettitte, who won for the seventh time in eight starts, is one win shy of 200 for his career. Pettitte also captured his 162nd win as a Yankee, which tied him for Herb Pennock for seventh on the all-time Yankees list and fourth among left-handers. Pettitte is 9-2 in 12 second-half starts and has allowed three earned runs or fewer 11 times. Pettitte is 2-1 with a 4.75 ERA in six games, five starts, against the Red Sox this season, and he holds a career mark of 15-6 with a 3.32 ERA versus Boston.

Red Sox: Once a leading contender for American League Rookie of the Year, Matsuzaka has fallen on hard times of late. Over his last four starts, Matsuzaka is 1-4 with a 9.57 ERA. In particular, his last two outings have been bad. The Orioles hit him for six hits and eight runs over 2 2/3 innings on Saturday. In the outing before that, Matsuzaka gave up 10 hits and seven runs over 5 1/3 innings against the Blue Jays. Matsuzaka is 2-1 with a 6.98 ERA in three starts against the Yankees.

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

Sox Batting vs Pettitte

Player	AB	H	2b	3b	HR's	RBI	BB's	K's	BA
D. Pedroia	14	4	1	0	0	3	0	0	.286
K. Youkilis	11	5	1	0	1	2	3	2	.455
D. Ortiz	36	11	3	0	1	6	3	10	.306
M. Ramirez	72	31	8	0	4	19	6	7	.431
J. D. Drew	17	6	1	0	2	2	1	6	.353
M. Lowell	14	4	1	0	0	2	1	0	.286
J. Varitek	48	17	1	1	2	7	5	14	.354
C. Crisp	16	4	0	0	0	0	1	5	.250
J. Lugo	22	6	0	1	0	0	3	3	.273
Totals	250	88	16	2	10	41	23	47	.352

Sometimes you have to wonder how somebody beats a team so many times. Look at those numbers, those are outstanding numbers vs a pitcher yet he wins over 4 games per 7 games started. You just have to wonder.

Pitching Comparisions Career

Pitcher	GS	W	L	Sho	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP	IP/GS
Pettitte	26	15	6	0	171	174	63	8	49	133	3.32	1.30	6.41
Matsuzaka	3	2	1	0	19 1/3	19	15	3	8	16	6.98	1.40	6.44

Pitching Comparisions this year

Pitcher	GS	W	L	Sho	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP	IP/GS
Pettitte	5	2	1	0	30 1/3	36	16	4	12	19	4.75	1.58	5.87
Matsuzaka	3	2	1	0	19 1/3	19	15	3	8	16	6.98	1.40	6.44

Pettitte's numbers (for this year) were actually helped by pitching 1 inning of relief this year vs the Sox. If you take out that inning his ERA goes up to 4.91. Still he has been on a roll and his last start vs the Sox was more than adequate. Once again the spankees expect him to step up big vs the Sox, the Sox though need to come out swinging and make him pay for every mistake. I say its 50/50 for that to happen.

This year Pettitte does not have very good numbers vs right handed or left handed batters. Lefties are batting .291 / .358 / .477 and righties are .280 / .327 / .392. How does this guy have a winning record? Simple he has an outstanding offense.

Not a lot to say about Matsuzaka, if I had my druthers I would go with another rookie here, one who just so happened to pitch a no-hitter this year. At least then I would think that the Sox have a chance to stop the Yankee hitters. It would not surprise me to see Tavarez in this game by the fourth inning.

This day in 1978
ALE W L GB WP RS RA
NYY 88 57 - .607 669 522
BOS 87 59 1.5 .596 716 604

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