Series Preview: Sox @ Toronto

Toronto Blue Jays (13-18)
AL EAST: 7.5 GB STRK: lost 6 in a row
AVG: .265 (4th in AL) ERA: 4.63 (10th)

Pitching Matchups:
GM1 TUE 7P Beckett (6-0, 2.72) vs. V. Zambrano (0-1, 5.63)
GM2 WED 7P Matsuzaka (3-2, 5.45) vs. McGowan (0-0, 9.00)
GM3 THU 7P Wakefield (3-3, 2.11) vs. Ohka (2-3, 5.50)

KEY PLAYERS:

• Vernon Wells-.279/4HR/17RBI: although his numbers are down this year- a byproduct of signing that fat contract no doubt- this guy is still one of the most dangerous hitters in the game, plus he kills Boston pitching (.289/22/69 in 97 games)
• Frank Thomas- .259/4/15: another guy who murders Boston pitching (.316/37/108 in 142 gms); 2 of his 4 homers this year have come vs. Boston
• Alex Rios- .266/5/18: yet another big bat that has yet to get hot, Rios is always capable of having a big night, but isn't consistent enough on a daily basis
• Aaron Hill-.277/6/22: the dependable second basemen is an overlooked cog in this brawny lineup, but the little guy is leading the team in homers and RBIs

Not these guys again!

That's what Boston players have to be saying as they head north of the border again to take on the Blue Jays for the third time in 12 series this season; by comparison, the Sox have yet to play fellow AL East brethren Tampa Bay even once this year.

Combine the frequency of the matchups with the familiarity of the foe and the fact that Boston traditionally just does not play well in SkyDome, and you must have a teamfull of pretty unhappy players up there, eh?

The good thing about this series is that Boston is hot, while the Jays are ice cold. Toronto is coming off a winless roadie where it dropped three in Texas and three in Cleveland. Another positive for Boston has to do with the pitching matchups; the Sox have the best pitcher in baseball going for them in the opener, and in turn they won't have to face Toronto's ace, Roy Halladay, for the third time this season. Never mind the fact that Toronto was Josh Beckett's personal house of horrors last year (0-1, 9.00 ERA, 7 HRs all'd), because the Jays will counter in Game 1 with D-Ray castoff Victor Zambrano.

Zambrano is making his second start for Toronto (he was shelled in the first one, of course) in place of the injured Gustavo Chacin, but the veteran righty may forever be known for being the man traded by Tampa Bay to the Mets for Scott Kazmir. The oft-injured and always erratic Zambrano was a bust in the Big Apple, and if Kaz ever turns into the ace the Rays think he will be, that deal could go down as one of the worst of all time.

Therefore, I'm giving the edge to Becks over his personal demons & Victor-yless Zambrano.

Game 2 will be interesting because Dice-K returns to the scene of perhaps his best outing of the season; he allowed just two runs on three hits in six innings while fanning 10 Jays in a 2-1 Boston loss on April 17th, a game in which Chacin shut down the Sox lineup for six innings himself.

Matsuzaka will oppose young righty Dustin McGowan, making his second start of the season. In his other outing last Thursday he allowed five runs and five walks in five innings in blowing a 4-0 lead versus Cleveland.

Advantage, Dice.

In Gm 3 Tim Wakefield takes his stellar 2.11 ERA, 2nd in the AL, to the hill to face former Sox hurler Tomo Ohka. In two previous outings against each other this year, Ohka has allowed 10 hits and six earned runs in 11.1 innings, while Wake has allowed 4 earned and 12 hits in 13 innings. Both went 1-1.

Advantage, Wake, because, well, there is no need to go into it.

Okay, now I'm as tired of writing about Toronto as Boston must be of playing them. But by my calculations, the Sox should sweep the reeling Jays and head back to Beantown for a 10 game home stand with their substantial division lead in tact.

And they can bid adieu to Toronto for another couple of months.