Series Preview: Oakland @ Sox

GM1 TUE 7P: Blanton (2-1, 3.55) vs. Schilling (3-2, 3.27)
GM2 WED 7P: Gaudin (1-1, 2.54) vs. Beckett (5-0, 2.48)

Oakland A's: 13-12, 3rd in AL West

Leaders:
AVG: Piazza, .274
HITS: Chavez, 27
HRs: Swisher, 4
RUNS: Sh. Stewart, 13
RBIs: Ellis, 16
WINS: Haren, 3
ERA: Harden, 1.42
Ks: Blanton, 27
SVs: Street, 6

Injured: P Rich Harden, OF Milton Bradley, OF Mark Kotsay

I just wanted to start out by saying thanks to Creme de la Blog for giving Curt's Bloody Sock a little love the other day.

The innovative blog review site directs readers to hidden gems on the WWW, ones that fall under the radar and between the cracks on the information superhighway. On top of leading you to intriguing little spots such as spaceants.com (an odd-yet-strangely riveting site), they are also Red Sox friendly.

Thanks again for the positive review, and keep up the great work.
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Now, on to the next series for our Sox. Tonight the boys begin another one of those shitty "Bud Selig Specials", a.k.a. a 2-gamer, against the A's. Oakland comes in just over .500 and 2 1/2 games behind the Angles in the West, but you know they will be right there in the thick of the division race after they rip off their patented second half hot streak.

The team that Boston seems to face every other year in the playoffs has got a little bit of a different look this season. Gone are any traces of the former "Big Three" rotation of Hudson-Zito-Mulder, and in is the new wave of young guns, Haren-Blanton-Harden.

Luckily for the Sox they won't have to face the Oakland ace, Haren, or Harden, and although Blanton can be a tricky pitcher to deal with because of his excellent curveball (I believe that is a prereq to pitch in the Bay Area), he isn't as scary as Haren or Harden. Closer Huston Street is one of the best in the game.

The lineup for Oakland has had some changes as well. Of course stalwarts like Eric Chavez is still occupying the hot corner, and guys like Mark Ellis, Nick Swisher, Marco Scutaro, Jason Kendall and Bobby Crosby still inhabit the Animal House-esque Oakland clubhouse.

But this season the A's have added Mike Piazza's bat to the fold, who is off to a slow start but still brings a veteran presence to the team. Speedy outfielder Shannon Stewart also joined the team after three seasons in Minny- I've always liked the way he played going back to his days in Toronto. Mad Milton Bradley is also back for another season by the Bay, and old friend Todd Walker returns to the AL after three seasons in the senior circuit.

Well that's enough about this one; by the time I get done writing about it the mini-series will be over.

Go Sox!