Game preview: Sox @ Oakland Game 3

Wakefield (5-6, 4.38) vs. Kennedy (1-4, 3.11)
Oakland Coliseum 10PM

The weight of the Nation is on the shoulders of ageless knuckleballer Tim Wakefield as it is up to him to end this three game mini-slump that the Sox are in, as well as break a 1-4 skid of his own.

It certainly won't hurt Wakefield that he is not facing the Stankees tonight, which have become his own personal kryptonite as of late, but the lack of run support that he normally gets combined with the lack of runs the Sox have been scoring out West could be a bad omen for Boston.

In his last four starts, Wake has allowed an alarming 23 earned runs in 22.3 innings (8.75) with 28 hits and 13 walks allowed. Yikes!

Therefore this is a critical start for him and the Sox. A three game losing streak is bad enough, but if you don't stop the bleeding in time, next thing you know the large division lead is gone, and those games against New York in late August might actually mean something.

And we don't want that, now do we?

Opposing Wakefield is the ever-mediocre Joe Kennedy; there's only one phrase needed to describe the 28-year-old lefty: Former. Devil Ray. Castoff.

'Nuff said.

Gotta beat these fuckers tonight, Wake.

The season is depending on it.
(okay, so I got a little melodramatic there, but these are harsh times)

GO Sox!