Game Preview: Sox @ Arizona GM 3

Dice -K (7-4, 4.63) vs. Big Unit (3-2, 3.78)
4:40PM Chase Field, Phoenix

A lot is on the line today in Phoenix when Daisuke Matsuzaka faces Randy Johnson in the third & final game of this interleague series.

Dice-K will be trying to snap a personal two-game losing streak after he had enjoyed a six-decision winning streak. He had been hit hard in two of his previous three starts before turning in a fine performance last Tuesday in Oakland (7IP, 2ER), though Boston could not him his usual 8+ runs in order for him to get the win.

Johnson will be making his ninth start since spending the first three weeks of the season on the DL after coming over from the Stanks in a January deal. After starting out slowly, Johnson has returned to early Big Unit form, winning his last three decisions while fanning 61 batters against just 8 walks in 47.1 innings pitched this year.

Johnson will bring a lifetime 15-7 mark with a 4.57 ERA into the game against Boston, and the former Stankee and Arizona teammate of Curt Schilling will be highly motivated to defeat the Sox, especially after the way Boston has slapped his streaking team back to reality the last couple of nights.

In fact the only better matchup today would have been former teammates and co-2001 World Series MVPs Curt Schilling squaring off against Johnson, his onetime clubhouse adversary.

Though they shared a lot of memorable experiences in bringing a title to the desert, its no secret that there's no love lost between the two polar opposite personalities, and to see them go against each other at this stage of their careers would have been fucking priceless.

As is we'll have to settle for watching the goodwill ambassador for Major League Baseball oppose one of the meanest, nastiest and filthiest lefties in league history.

Johnson's game is pretty good, too.

GO SOX!
SWEEP THE D-BACKS!