Game Preview: Colorado vs. Sox GM2

Francis (1-5, 5.06) vs. Schilling (6-2, 3.49)
Fenway Park 7EST

Explain to me how a second-year sensation like Justin Verlander can toss a no-hitter against one of the best teams in the National league, but a big game legend and veteran of almost 20 major league seasons like Schill can't close the deal against the the slappy A's?

What's that, Verlander had a heater that reached 101 mph once and 99 repeatedly on the gun last night?

Never mind.

Anyway, Schill will take the hill tonight coming off the his best performance in a Sox uni in a long time, when he held Oakland hitless for 8 2/3 innings before Shannon Bleepin' Stewart lined a solid base hit to break up his bid for history.

No matter. The bigger picture for Boston is the continued improvement of the once-struggling ace, as he has allowed just five earned runs in his last 21 innings after surrendering 14 in his previous 24, picking up two wins and an ND in that time.

His opponent on the mound tonight will be Josh Fogg. The struggling righty, a native of Lynn, Lynn the City of Sin, has been in a fog of late (sorry, too easy), losing four straight and spending time on the DL in late May.

Fogg has allowed an astronomical 95 base runners (72 hits, 23 walks) in 58.2 innings of work, so Boston should be able to put some runs on the board after being stymied by Aaron Cook last night.

I believe another Sox win is in the cards, and who knows, maybe this time Schill will get that no-no.

Go Sox!