NFL 2008 Week 8 Preview

Well, last week was a blah week. 7-7 for the week and the yearly total is now at 61-41. Of course what really frosts my derriere is that 34-14 score that had St. Louis beating the Cowboys.

It was not a good weekend for any of my teams as the Razorbacks lost, the Sox got eliminated and the Cowboys stunk up the joint. Even more ridiculous was the fact that I picked the boys to cover. What the hell was I thinking?

Remember - these picks are only for entertainment purposes and you follow / bet on these from my picks at your own peril. I am not responsible for you following my stupidity. Now off to the picks for week eight of the 2008 season.

Week 8 Games

Favorite	Spread.	Underdog	Pick	Madden 09
Dallas	-3.5	Tampa Bay	Tampa Bay	Dallas 24-13
Washington	-7.5	Detroit	Washington	Wash. 21-17
Buffalo	-1.5	Miami	Miami	Mia. 24-9
NE Patriots	-7.5	St. Louis	St. Louis	NE 23-17
San Diego	-3.5	New Orleans	New Orleans	SD 27-16
NY Jets	-12.5	Kansas City	NY Jets	NY 30-10
Philadelphia	-8.5	Atlanta	Atlanta	Phi. 28-13
Baltimore	-6.5	Oakland	Oakland	Oak. 27-13
Carolina	-4.5	Arizona	Arizona	Car. 25-22
Jacksonville	-6.5	Cleveland	Jacksonville	Jax. 34-6
Houston	-9.5	Cincinnati	Houston	Hou. 27-19
Pittsburgh	-2.5	NY Giants	NY Giants	NY 24-21
San Fran	-4.5	Seattle	San Fran	Sea. 21-10
Tennessee	-4.5	Indianapolis	Tennessee	Ind. 26-17

Well, there you go. Have fun watching football!!!

♊ - Well, let's hope we get some funny hats too.

Red Sox 2008 ALCS Game 7 Preview

One game, it is now down to just one game. Once again the Red Sox under the leadership of Terry Francona have faced the abyss and are now one step away from going to their third World Series in five years. A lot is being made of the Sox being 9-1 in elimination games under Francona (I swear if I hear the word FRANCOMA ever again in my presence someone will be wearing a size 11 shoe in their ass), and that is a big deal, a huge deal and make no mistake about it, if the Sox can complete this comeback that is why he will become Terry Francona, Hall of Famer.

One game left, just one game left in this series. One will continue to play this year and the other will be going to the ball park on Monday to have their exit interview and cleaning out of the locker. One game left in the 2008 ALCS. It is win or go home. It is one game left in this series and I can hardly wait to watch the Rays lose.

One game! One game!

Lets look at what MLB.Com has to say about this game:

(note at 6:32 p.m. there is nothing there).

This is a rematch of game 3 in Fenway. Time for Lester to get some pay back.

♊ - Well, let's hope we get some funny hats too.

NFL - 2008 Week 7 Preview

Well, last week was another very, very good week for the s1c picks. 10-4 for the week put us a solid 20 over losses. Yeah, boy, 54-34 for the year. That is a solid 9 wins per week. So, on to this weeks picks.

Remember - these picks are only for entertainment purposes and you follow / bet on these from my picks at your own peril. I am not responsible for you following my stupidity. Now off to the picks for week six of the 2008 season.

Week 7 Games

Favorite	Spread.	Underdog	Pick	Madden 09
Buffalo	-0.5	San Diego	Buffalo	SD 28-23
Chicago	-3.5	Minnesota	Chicago	Chi 19-17
Pittsburgh	-9.5	Cincinnati	Cincinatti	Pitt 23-13
Tennessee	-7.5	Kansas City	Tennessee	KC 20-13
Carolina	-3.5	New Orleans	New Orleans	NO 26-23
Dallas	-6.5	St. Louis	Dallas	Dal 27-24
Miami	-2.5	Baltimore	Baltimore	Mia 22-19
NY Giants	-10.5	San Fran	NY Giants	NY G 34-16
Houston	-8.5	Detroit	Detroit	Det 27-13
NY Jets	-3.5	Oakland	NY Jets	NY Jets 34-12
Washington	-7.5	Cleveland	Washington	Cle 24-20
Indianapolis	-1.5	Green Bay	Indianapolis	Indy 27 234
Tampa Bay	-10.5	Seattle	Seattle	Tampa Bay 27-23
NE Patriots	-3.5	Denver	Denver	NE 24 -20

We could use another strong week here.

♊ - Well, let's hope we get some funny hats too.

Red Sox 2008 ALCS Game 6 Preview

Well, a smart man would say don't post anything but then again it has been proven that I am not exactly a smart man. I did not post anything before game 5 and due to some external, i.e. reality I was only able to watch the last three innings of game 5. However, from the Sox side of things that was by far the best part of the game to watch. I only have one thing to say about game 5 - WOW!

So, mission partly accomplished, the big Papi got on track, J.D. Drew proved that the regular season means nothing and Coco Crisp earned every penny of his contract. The Rays were unable to sweep the Sox in Fenway and spray champagne in the Sox visiting clubhouse and the series continues tonight at Tropicana Field. WOW!

Well, lets look at what MLB.Com has to say about the starting pitchers tonight:

Scouting Report:

Red Sox: Beckett, who has built a reputation as a postseason hero, has been hit hard this October. Most recently, the Rays pounded him for nine hits and eight runs over 4 1/3 innings in Game 2. Beckett took the no-decision in that game, which the Red Sox lost in 11 innings. In Game 3 of the Division Series against the Angels, Beckett lasted just five innings, giving up nine hits and four runs. That was also a no-decision in an extra-inning loss. Lifetime in LCS play, Beckett 3-0 with a 4.30 ERA in six outings, five of which were starts. In the postseason, he is 6-2 with a 2.85 ERA.

Rays: Shields got tagged with the loss in Game 1 of the ALCS despite a quality start that saw him allow two runs on six hits with two walks while striking out six in 7 1/3 innings. The 26-year-old right-hander's best pitch has always been his changeup, but he also has a plus fastball and curve and he's added a cutter that has helped him throw inside to left-handers. He was originally scheduled to start Game 5, but manager Joe Maddon switched on the off day following Game 4.

Big Game Shields is on the mound for the Rays and remember if it was not for a couple of cheap hits, one being a check swing by Kotsay it is possible that the Rays would have won that game. The question that needs to be answered though is this; "Is Big Game James really Big Game James?" Tonight will go a long way to answering that question.

As for the Sox starter, well if it is Josh Beckett of 2003 and 2007 then this game is over, but if it is Josh Beckett of this year, the Sox will not be playing a game 7. Lest anyone forget, going into this postseason Joshie was 6-2 with a 1.73 ERA and a WHIP of .74 in the postseason.

This year he is 0-0 with a 16.62 ERA (raising his overall to 2.85) and a 2.31 WHIP. What is surprising is his K / 9 is actually up this postseason, 10.38 versus 10.16 but he has been getting hammered. So, from the Sox point of view, is he going to be Beckett (aka Captain kick ass) or is he going to be Beckett. Sometime in the next few hours that answer will be apparent.

♊ - Well, let's hope we get some funny hats too

Red Sox 2008 ALCS Game 4 Preview

What a revolting game last night turned out to be. As we used to say in the navy, "that was just plain fugly". However, all is not lost yet. This team has shown that it can come back from 0-3 and 1-3 deficits so until the Sox actually get eliminated, I will still be full of hope and optimism.

Well, lets look at what MLB.com has to say about tonights starters:

Scouting Report:

Rays: Rays manager Joe Maddon consistently refers to Sonnanstine as a winner, and on Oct. 6, winning was exactly what Sonnanstine did. In Game 4's series-clinching win over the White Sox, Sonnanstine held Chicago to two runs on three hits in 5 1/3 innings. The fourth member of the rotation, Sonnanstine doesn't light up the radar guns but is a consistent strike-thrower who plays to his strengths. A crafty pitcher, Sonnanstine is at his best when he pitches off his fastball and uses his command to his advantage. Although he received a pair of no-decisions earlier this year, Sonnanstine has pitched particularly well at Fenway, and is a career 1-1 against Boston with a 5.40 ERA.

Red Sox: The veteran knuckleballer didn't pitch in the Division Series, as the Red Sox went with a three-man rotation. Now he enters the mix against a team he has dominated throughout his career, going 19-5 with a 3.32 ERA in 41 appearances. However, Wakefield wasn't as strong against Tampa Bay this season, going 0-2 with a 5.87 ERA in three starts. Wakefield pitched well at Fenway in 2008, going 7-4 with a 3.10 ERA in 14 starts. In League Championship Series play, Wakefield is 5-2 with a 4.50 ERA in nine appearances, five of them starts.

Once again the Sox seem to have the advantage from the pitching side of things but that hasn’t produced on the field these last two games. The last two games the starting pitchers have been suspect and with Wakefield taking the mound tonight who knows how that knuckleball will be dancing. Personally I say the good knuckleball shows up tonight.

The pitching isn’t the only thing that is hurting this team though. In three games the Sox have only scored eleven runs and that includes an eight run game. That is some suspect offense. It especially hurts when 1/3 of your line up is 0 for the series. Papi and Ellsbury have to break out of their slumps. They are needed for their offense; otherwise this will be a short series. Tonight would be a good time for them to start hitting.

♊ - Well, let's hope we get some funny hats too.

Red Sox 2008 ALCS Game 3 Preview

Lot of people have been beating up Francona for the game two loss. Do not count me as one of those people. Do I agree with his decision to not pitch Papelbon one more inning? No. I also did not agree with the Timlin decision, but a manager who is over .500 in ALCS history gets the benefit of the doubt from me.

So, not a good night Saturday night for the Sox, but that loss is on Beckett. Personally, I think he is hurt, but we will see.

So, lets check out MLB.Com for the probable pitchers:

Scouting Report:

Rays: Garza watched a fine start unravel in Game 3 of the Division Series, as the right-hander ran into trouble in the fourth inning at Chicago's U.S. Cellular Field and paid dearly for it. The Rays were unable to back Garza, who allowed seven hits and five earned runs in a loss. Still, the 25-year-old pitched well and will look to pick up his first career postseason win. Garza has arguably the best stuff on the Rays rotation, and if he can keep his emotions in check, he is a force to be reckoned with. He is a career 3-1 with a 3.86 ERA against the Red Sox.

Red Sox: The lefty has been nothing short of magnificent of late. After earning American League Pitcher of the Month honors in September, Lester posted a 0.00 ERA in 14 innings against the Angels in the Division Series. He earned the win in Game 1 and left Game 2 with a 2-0 lead after seven innings. In three career postseason starts, Lester hasn't allowed an earned run. Lester was a Fenway Park force this season, going 11-1 with a 2.49 ERA in 17 starts. Against the Rays this season, Lester was dominant, going 3-0 with an 0.90 ERA in three stats.

So looking at that you have to say Lester has the advantage. Looking at the pitchers against each team at Fenway we see the following:

Pitching Comparisions at Fenway 2008

Pitcher	GS	W	L	Sho	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP	IP/GS
Garza	1	0	1	0	5 1/3	6	5	2	2	3	8.44	1.50	5 1/3
Lester	3	3	0	0	20	18	2	1	6	19	.90	1.20	6 2/3

I give the edge to Lester.

Other keys to the game, Papi and Ellsbury need to start hitting. It is bad enough that the lower part of the order is struggling so those two need to start hitting period. 0-17 just does not cut it with those two batters.

♊ - Well, let's hope we get some funny hats too.

NFL 2008 Week 6 Preview

Ok, so Beckett did not come out looking good in last nights Red Sox game, still the Sox did grab home field advantage on this trip. Now they just need to win three straight at home to get this series finished so that they can rest up for the World Series.

As for football, hey it is a football post, last week we went sterling seven and seven. The last time I only won seven games saw my next week picks to improve to a thirteen and three record for the week. It could happen again!

Remember these picks are only for entertainment purposes and you follow / bet on these from my picks at your own peril. I am not responsible for you following my stupidity. Now off to the picks for week six of the 2008 season.

Week 6 Games

Favorite	Spread.	Underdog	Pick	Madden 09
Chicago	-2.5	Atlanta	Atlanta	Chicago
Tampa Bay	-2.5	Carolina	Tampa Bay	Tampa Bay
Washington	-13.5	St. Louis	Washington	Washington
Houston	-3.5	Miami	Miami	Miami
Indianapolis	-4.5	Baltimore	Baltimore	Indianapolis
Minnesota	-13.5	Detroit	Detroit	Detroit
New Orleans	-7.5	Oakland	New Orleans	Oakland
NY Jets	-5.5	Cincinnati	NY Jets	NY Jets
Denver	-3.5	Jacksonville	Jacksonville	Jacksonville
Dallas	-5.5	Arizona	Arizona	Arizona
Philadelphia	-5.5	San Fran	Philadelphia	Philadelphia
Seattle	-2.5	Green Bay	Green Bay	Green Bay
San Diego	-6.5	NE Patriots	NE Patriots	NE Patriots
NY Giants	-7.5	Cleveland	NY Giants	NY Giants

Chicago wins 30-28
Tampa Bay wins 27-14
Washington wins 26-20
Miami wins 23-20
Indianapolis wins 21-17
Minnesota wins 20-10
New Orleans wins 27-16
Jets win 30-21
Denver wins 27-24
Dallas wins 30-27
Philadelphia wins 23-14
Green Bay wins 31-28
San Diego wins 28-24
NY Giants win 35-10

♊ - Well, let's hope we get some funny hats too.

Red Sox 2008 ALCS Game 2 Preview

Well that game last night was satisfying. Yeah boy! Daisuke goes seven plus innings (he faced two batters in the eighth), in the process only allowing four hits (all singles) and four walks (three in the first inning) to help the Sox take this 2-0 game. Key moments for Daisuke was the first when he loaded the bases with two outs and escaped, the seventh when back to back singles to open the seventh had runners on first and third with no outs and the eighth when he turned the game over to Okajima with men on first and second with no outs. In all instances either he or the bullpen, Okajima got a pop fly and Masterson induced a double play ball, came through. It was beautiful.

Tonight it is Josh Beckett versus Scott Kazmir at 8:07 p.m. From MLB.Com probable pitchers:

Scouting Report:

Red Sox: Coming off a right oblique injury that pushed him back a few days against the Angels, Beckett wasn't particularly sharp in his Game 3 start in the ALDS, throwing 106 pitches over five innings and giving up nine hits and four runs. He'll have five days of rest for this start. Despite the struggles of his last start, Beckett's postseason track record (6-2, 2.09 ERA in 11 outings) speaks for itself. Beckett has made four career starts at Tropicana Field, going 1-2 with a 1.93 ERA. Beckett is no stranger to the Rays, having faced them five times in 2008. He was 2-1 with a 2.06 ERA in those outings.

Rays: Kazmir recorded the win that gave the Rays a 2-0 series lead over Chicago in the ALDS. The youngest member of the Rays rotation, Kazmir gave a gutsy performance, wriggling out of a 37-pitch first inning with two runs allowed. Two pitches into the game, Kazmir hit White Sox leadoff man Orlando Cabrera with a pitch and the southpaw followed with a walk to Nick Swisher. Chicago's Jermaine Dye added a single to load the bases, creating a daunting situation early. Kazmir said he was simply struggling with his location, and was economical enough in the following frames to exit with the lead after 5 1/3 innings. When he has command of his slider, Kazmir can be devastating. He is a career 6-7 against the Red Sox, with 3.62 ERA.

When Kazmir is on, he is good versus the Sox, when he is off he gets hammered. Looking at this year we have the following stats for Beckett at the Trop and Kazmir versus the Sox at the Trop:

Pitching Comparisions

Pitcher	GS	W	L	Sho	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP	IP/GS
Beckett	2	0	1	0	15	7	2	2	2	20	1.20	.6	7.5
Kazmir	2	0	1	0	8	13	13	5	8	5	14.63	2.63	4

As you can tell Kazmir was the only Rays pitcher to lose to the Sox at home until last nights game. In fact he was unable to get past the fifth inning in either start this year. Make no mistake, while the Sox will be worried about his stuff, they do not fear this pitcher.

I think the Rays have two things going against them in this game:

1. Beckett is coming off of a horrible start in the ALDS, do we really think he will have two bad games in a row?
2. Kazmir does not strike fear in the Sox hearts.

♊ - Well, let's hope we get some funny hats too.

Red Sox 2008 ALCS Game 1 Preview

Ok, tonight is game 1 of the 2008 ALCS. If one was to look back at my picks before the ALDS you would see that I had this match up. Needless to say, I am Pumped!!!

First lets look at what the MLB.com probable pitchers have to say:

Scouting Report:

Red Sox: Matsuzaka, the 18-game winner during the regular season, will be working on six days of rest. However, Matsuzaka labored through his Game 2 start against the Angels, throwing 108 pitches over five innings and giving up eight hits and three runs. The right-hander was dominant on the road this season, going 9-0 with a 2.37 ERA in 13 starts. Despite being in the Major Leagues for just two seasons, Matsuzaka has pitched eight times against the Rays, going 2-3 with a 2.75 ERA. Five of those starts have come at Tropicana Field, where Matsuzaka is 1-2 with a 3.41 ERA. Dice-K led the Majors this season by holding opponents to a .211 batting average.

Rays: Shields got the win in Game 1 of the ALDS. He overcame a rocky third inning, in which he yielded a three-run homer to Chicago's Dewayne Wise, to turn in a respectable outing. The right-hander exited after loading the bases with one out in the seventh inning, but the Rays' bullpen held the White Sox in check to preserve the win. Shields has worked 215 innings this season -- matching his total from 2007 exactly -- and has thrown three of the Rays' seven shutouts.

Now MLB.com shows that Matsuzaka is less than .500 at the Trop in his career but looking at this years starts for Daisuke he is 1-0 in 2 starts this year at the Trop. Both games he went 5 innings (uh, imagine that) and only allowed 2 earned runs. More importantly his WHIP at the Trop was a very good 1.20. If, and I mean if, Daisuke is able to keep the runs off the board I would fully expect him to approach the 120 pitch count tonight. The six days off since his last start should help him reach that goal.

Shields has been outstanding versus the Sox this year in Tampa Bay. In two starts he has went 15 1/3 innings with a sterling 1.17 ERA and an even better .59 WHIP. However, he has not faced the Sox since 6/30 of this year. This is an entirely different team and I fully expect the Sox to do much better tonight.

This game though, in my mind is way to close to call, but the Sox can definitely steal a game tonight. In fact I am praying that they do that tonight.

♊ - Well, let's hope we get some funny hats too.

Red Sox 2008 ALDS Game 4 Preview

Well game three kind of sucked. 12 innings with the last seven being missed opportunity after missed opportunity. It was not a good outing by Beckett but the bullpen did fine. One just has to hope that the genie has not been let out of the bottle.

What is needed tonight is a strong performance by Mr. Lester. The bullpen was taxed last night so Lester needs to go deep into this game. Is he up to it? I say yes he is indeed up to the task.

From MLB.com probable pitchers:
Scouting Report:

Angels: Lackey faced the Red Sox in Game 1 and lost, 4-1. He went 6 2/3 innings and allowed just a two-run home run to Jason Bay. That was just one of four hits he allowed, along with two walks and four strikeouts. Lackey, who was 12-5 with a 3.75 ERA during the regular season, has lost two straight playoff starts to the Red Sox. He was also the losing pitcher in a 4-0 loss to Josh Beckett in the opener of the 2007 ALDS.

Red Sox: With the bullpen taxed after Sunday's 12-inning affair, the onus falls on Lester to give the Red Sox a long and quality start. Boston rode Lester's seven-inning gem in Game 1 of the ALDS to an early advantage over the Angels. Lester has experience getting the starting nod in potential clinchers. He worked 5 2/3 scoreless innings in Game 4 of the World Series last year to get the win as the Red Sox swept the Rockies.

♊ - Well, let's hope we get some funny hats too.

NFL 2008 Week 5 Preview

Ok, well BH and I will be departing for our 24th anniversary get away here soon, which means probably no posts until Wednesday so before we go lets look at NFL Week 4 and then on to the picks.

Again a winning week end as we went 8-5 last week. For those counting that is now 37-23 for the year. Will tak that everyday and twice on Sunday.

Week 5 Games

Favorite	Spread.	Underdog	Pick	Madden 09
Chicago	-3.5	Detroit	Detroit	Detroit 20-14
Green Bay	-7.5	Atlanta	Green Bay	Atlanta 20-19
San Diego	-6.5	Miami	San Diego	SD 24-21
NY Giants	-7.5	Seattle	NY Giants	NY 35-23
Philadelphia	-5.5	Washington	Washington	Philly 20-17
Carolina	-9.5	Kansas City	Carolina	Carolina 14-12
Tennessee	-3.5	Baltimore	Baltimore	Tenn 20-14
Indianapolis	-3.5	Houston	Houston	Indy 23-10
Denver	-3.5	Tampa Bay	Denver	TB 17-15
Arizona	-0.5	Buffalo	Buffalo	Az. 28-24
NE Patriots	-3.5	San Francisco	NE Patriots	SF 27-21
Dallas	-15.5	Cincinnati	Cincinatti	Dallas 24-17
Jacksonville	-4.5	Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh	Jax 33-20
New Orleans	-3.5	Minnesota	New Orleans	NO 35-28

Chicago wins 20-17
Green Bay wins 28-17
San Diego wins 35-10
NY Giants wins 28-17
Philly wins 24-21
Carolin wins 30-10 (the chiefs are horrible)
Tennessee wins 24-21
Indianapolis wins 18-17
Denver wins 27-21
Arizona nips Buffalo 21-20
Patriots win 24-15
Dallas wins 30-17
Pittsburgh wins 20-24
New Orleans wins 28-24.

See you later!

♊ - Well, let's hope we get some funny hats too.

Red Sox 2008 ALDS Game 3 Preview

Well last nights game was a beautiful thing to watch. Too bad I was at work and only was able to really watch the last three innings. Have I mentioned that I hate Direct TV lately? Audio was horrible on the game until the last few innings so I had to bring up the internet feed from MLB.com. Still, it was good to listen to the game and then get to watch the last three innings.

Lots of things to talk about in the game. Where should we start? Jason Bay looking like he has been playing in playoffs his entire career? Ellsbury continuing to hit and get on base? JD Drew hitting another home run that just kept on rising and rising? Matsuzaka being well Matsuzaka? A relief pitcher besides Papelbon that can go more than 1 inning of NO RUNS ALLOWED? Eleven straight wins against a good Angels Team?

Like I said a lot to talk about from last nights game. None of it matters though, the Sox won and now they have one of the premier post season pitchers pitching tomorrow. Lets go see what MLB.com has to say:

Scouting Report:

Angels: Saunders, fully recovered after passing a kidney stone three days earlier and missing a start, finished the regular season with a dominant effort against the Rangers, holding them to two hits while striking out nine and walking none in six shutout innings on Sunday. He became the staff leader with 17 wins, one more than Ervin Santana. Saunders believed the time off served to revive his arm, and he was stronger than he'd been in close to a month. The All-Star southpaw has been a road warrior, going 10-3 with a 2.55 ERA away from Angel Stadium. At Fenway Park, notoriously unkind to lefties, he is 3-0 in his career with a 2.75 ERA. He is 4-0 with a 2.89 ERA in six lifetime starts against the Red Sox. In three starts this season he was 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA against Boston.

Red Sox: More than anything, the righty has come to be known for his utter dominance in postseason play. For the Red Sox last October, Beckett went 4-0 with a 1.20 ERA in four starts. Overall, he is 6-2 with a 1.73 ERA in the postseason over 10 outings, nine of which were starts. It was not an easy regular season for Beckett, who battled injuries, inconsistency and, at times, bad luck. Still, the righty would have opened the series if not for a strained right oblique suffered in a bullpen session two days before the end of the regular season. Beckett held opponents to a .256 average and gave up 18 homers. He was hardly dominant at Fenway this season, going 5-5 with a 5.65 ERA. Beckett was 0-2 with a 7.43 ERA in two starts against the Angels.

Not looking good actually. 7.43 ERA vs a 3.38 ERA. However, this is October and I fully expect some Captain Kick Ass goodery from the #3 (how weird is that) starter. In fact I wouldn't be surprised to see him go 8 innings.

♊ - Well, let's hope we get some funny hats too.

p.s. just in case anyone cares, early post on the game 3 because the BH is kidnapping me for a romantic get away (its our anniversary 24 of a lifetime sentence). Said get away has spotty internet so, posting early to at least have some thoughts said.

Red Sox 2008 ALDS Game 2 Preview

Game II of the 2008 ALDS is tonight. Matsuzaka will be pitching for the olde team and Ervin Santana for the Halos. Following is from MLB.Com:

Scouting Report:
Red Sox: The right-hander turned in a terrific second season, finishing much stronger than in his rookie year, when fatigue took an obvious toll. In 13 starts after the All-Star break, Matsuzaka went 8-2. All year long, the righty dominated on the road, going 9-0 with a 2.37 ERA. His only start of the season against the Angels occurred at Fenway Park on July 28, when Matsuzaka gave up seven hits and six runs. Matsuzaka recorded 154 strikeouts over 167 2/3 innings, giving up 128 hits. Lack of control was an issue, as evidenced by 94 walks. In four postseason starts last year, Matsuzaka went 2-1 with a 5.03 ERA. The wins came in the highest of stakes -? Game 7 of the American League Championship Series against the Indians and Game 3 of the World Series at Colorado.

Angels: Like John Lackey, Santana also struggled in his final start of the season as he allowed a season-worst eight runs over 5 2/3 innings on Saturday against the Rangers. Again, it wasn't like the usual Santana, who has turned it around this season after spending some of last season in the Minor Leagues. Santana was an All-Star this season and struck out 214 batters, which is the most by an Angels pitcher since Chuck Finley struck out 215 in 1996. Santana is 1-2 with a 5.73 ERA against the Red Sox in four career starts but didn't face Boston this year.

Make no mistakes this is not a gimme game for the Sox. Still I expect Francona the Assassin to show up tonight and give this team a chance to win.

Red Sox - 2008 ALDS Game 1

Well it is that time of the year, another October has arrived and another Red Sox team is among the "eight" looking for the ring. For the 5th time in the last six years the Sox, the team that I watch on a daily basis has a chance to bring home another trophy proclaiming them World Series champions. The road this year has been long and hard with visits to two countries and numerous injuries, surprises and of course disappointments. Still, they are going to play at least three more games while twenty-two other teams will be watching or playing golf.

Let there be no doubt, this team has a chance to make an inedible stamp upon this decade. One more championship will mean that they have won three with no other team with even two championships. After 2003, if you had told me that the Sox would win two championships following incredible comebacks in the League Championship Series, one a historical once in a lifetime comeback and would be looking for their third and a repeat championship this year I would have called you crazy or at least wondered what you were smoking.

Decades of frustration and wait until next year are over; this team has a chance to make their own history. There is only one October, that is only one October in every year and it is upon us. Let the games begin!

Predictions –
Sox in 5 (if Beckett was starting tonight I would have said 4).

Rays over the White Sox in 4 games

Cubs over Dodgers in 4 games

Phillies over Brewers in 5 games.

ESPN.com game recap here.

♊ - Well, let's hope we get some funny hats too.