2009 Red Sox Game 94 Preview

Buchholz vs Nippert, 3 game of this series and the Sox have sucked. Time to turn this boat around boys. 8:05 be there or ...

Scouting Report:
Red Sox: Buchholz replaces Tim Wakefield, who was placed on the disabled list with a strained lower back. This is Buchholz's second stint with the Red Sox in less than a week. He started against the Blue Jays on July 17 and beat them, 4-1, in Toronto. He allowed one run on four hits and three walks with three strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings. Buchholz is 7-3 with a 2.36 ERA in 17 games, including 16 starts, at Triple-A Pawtucket. He is 6-10 with a 5.35 ERA in 21 career Major League games, including 19 starts. He threw six scoreless innings in an 8-3 victory over the Rangers in his only start against them on April 21, 2008.

Rangers: Nippert replaces Vicente Padilla, who was scratched because of the flu. Nippert earned his first victory with two scoreless innings in relief in a 5-3 victory in 12 innings over the Twins on Sunday. He has a 7.36 ERA in two starts for the Rangers this year and is 3-5 with a 6.75 ERA in 13 career starts. He is 0-1 with an 11.05 ERA in three relief appearances against the Red Sox in his career.

2009 Red Sox Game 93 Preview

Beckett vs Hunter - Ballpark at Arlington 8:05 (et)

Scouting Report:

Red Sox: Beckett earned his 100th career victory on July 12, firing a three-hit, complete-game shutout against Kansas City at Fenway Park. The 33rd active player to reach that plateau, he allowed just three hits to the free-swinging Royals. A native of Spring, Texas, Beckett is 2-1 with a 3.63 ERA and a 23/4 strikeout-to-walk ratio in four career starts against the Rangers.

Rangers: Hunter earned a tough-luck no-decision after throwing six shutout innings against the Mariners last time out. That was his second-longest outing of the season. In four consecutive outings this season, he has allowed three runs, two, one and no runs. Hunter is 1-2 over five starts with a 5.81 ERA over 26 1/3 innings pitched in his career at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. This season, however, he's posted a 3.18 ERA over 17 innings there.

Time for this team to get its act together. Be there or ...

2009 Red Sox Game 92 Preview

Smoltz vs Millwood at the Ballpark in Arlington. 8:05 p.m. (et)

From MLB.com -

Scouting Report:

Red Sox: Smoltz closed out the first half by earning his first victory since April 17, 2008 -- a span of 450 days. The 42-year-old righty tossed five innings of one-run ball against the Royals on July 11 at Fenway Park, striking out a season-high seven. In one career appearance at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Smoltz recorded a three-out save.

Rangers: Millwood allowed four earned runs over six innings against the Mariners in his most recent start on July 11. He has run into a rough stretch, seeing his season ERA steadily increase to 3.46 from 2.64 over his past three starts. Manager Ron Washington decided to give Millwood some more time to rest -- he will be going on eight days after his last start. Millwood entered the All-Star break atop the American League in innings pitched and only one-third of an inning behind Adam Wainwright for the Major League lead. He has thrown 110 pitches in 13 of 19 starts this season.

Be there or be ...

2009 Red Sox Game 91 Preview

Sunday, July 19     Rogers Centre 1:07 PM ET
Jon Lester, LHP (8-6, 3.87) Red Sox (55-35)
    @    
Roy Halladay, RHP (10-3, 2.85) Blue Jays (45-47)

Scouting Report:

Red Sox: Lester enters the second half of the season on a bona fide hot streak. The 25-year-old lefty has allowed three runs or fewer in each of his past eight starts since May 31, yielding one run or fewer in six of those outings. Just 21 strikeouts shy of last year's career-high total of 152, Lester is 3-2 with a 3.25 ERA and a 39/20 strikeout-to-walk ratio in seven career starts against the Blue Jays.

Blue Jays: Fresh off a start for the American League in the All-Star Game, Halladay returns to the Jays' rotation in search of his first win since June 7. Over his past four starts, including an injury-shortened outing on June 12 that led to a two-week stint on the disabled list with a right groin issue, Doc has gone 0-2 with a 4.30 ERA. Halladay allowed three runs on nine hits with eight strikeouts and no walks over seven innings in a losing effort on July 9 at Tampa Bay.

Hallady is 7-4 vs the Sox at Toronto, with a 4.65 ERA. Which means he is 5-8 at Fenway.
Lester is terrible at Toronto though. 1-2 in 4 starts with a 5.73 ERA. Jon needs to step up and compete today.

2009 Red Sox Game 90 Preview

Am sorry, but these numbers do not inspire me with confidence



Penny vs Rzepczynski at 1:07 p.m. be there or ...

2009 Red Sox Game 87 Preview

Mech vs Smoltz in game 3 of the KC Series, game 9 of the homestand (4-4), Smoltz makes his 2nd start at Fenway this year, I totally expect a better result 7:05 p.m. be there or ...

As for game 86, I think this picture pretty much sums it up!!!

2009 Red Sox Game 86 Preview

Bannister vs Lester game 2 of KC Series, game 8 of the homestand (3-4), Lester faces the Royals for the first time since his no hitter. 7:05 p.m. be there or ...

2009 Red Sox Game 85 Preview

Hochevar vs Penny - 7:05 p.m. be there or ...

Mr. D D'onofrio weighs in on the Halladay speculation, while I may not agree with him it is always a good read!!!

2009 Red Sox Game 84 Preview

Tonight Timmy goes for win 11, at home Mr. Knuckleball is 4-2 vs the A's. 7:05, be there or ...

2009 Red Sox Game 83 Preview

Time for Beckett to show he is the stopper. 7:05, be there or ...

2009 Red Sox Game 82 Preview

Smoltz makes his Fenway debut as a Sox. Be there or ....

2009Red Sox Game 79 Preview

Wakefield overall vs the Mariners -

Games	W	L	IP	H	BB	K	ERA
25	4	9	126.3	125	54	92	4.06

Wakefield at home -

Games	W	L	IP	H	BB	K	ERA
14	3	5	73	72	25	50	3.45

I like him better at home than on the road vs these guys