Game Preview: Texas @ Sox GM3

Loe (4-6, 6.02) vs. Tavarez (5-5, 4.60)
Fenway Park 2:05

Plays like this baffler from Julio Lugo last night have caused the Sox to swoon at the end of June

The weight of Red Sox Nation rests on the scrawny shoulders of psychotic Julian Tavarez today as the Sox need to establish some kind of winning streak before the All Star break begins one week from tonight.

With losses in five of its last seven games, the team ended the month of June with a losing record, so Boston had better put together a string of wins over Texas and Tampa Bay, because after those two series the Sox head to Detroit for a three-gamer with the smokin' hot Tigers to close out the first half.

The problems the team has had since departing San Diego have been both obvious and disheartening: a devastating mix of poor pitching and non-clutch hitting combined with mental & physical breakdowns have plagued Boston in losing four of five games this week.

Tavarez started the streak off with a horrid outing against Seattle on Monday in which he allowed six hits and six runs (three earned) in 4 1/3 innings of a 9-4 loss. Prior to that he had won four consecutive decisions, but that's the problem with Julie Gump--you never know what you're gonna get.

Today his mound opponent will be Texas' lanky righthander Kameron Loe, who has turned it around in June after dropping to 1-6 to start to the season.

The 6'7" Loe has won three straight starts, allowing just five earned runs in 21.2 innings over that time while lowering his ERA from 7.40 to 6.02. Lefties are hitting a scalding .338 off him, though, so look for Papi, Drew and or Tek to possibly have good games today.

Loe also joins the lengthening list of lengthy hurlers whom the Sox have faced this season, forming a formidable trio that includes Randy Johnson (6'11") and Chris Young (6'10".)

With Donnelly, Schilling and now Pineiro now on the DL, Coco possibly headed there from another finger injury and Julio Lugo playing like a man without a clue, times are a little bit tough for our team right now.

Luckily we still enjoy a double-digit division lead, otr it would really be time to panic.

But it's nothing a little five game winning streak to start July won't cure.


**UPDATE: The Stanks are already losing 8-0 after two innings to the Oakland A's, one day after Chad Gaudin held them to one hit in a 7-0 Oakland victory; so we got that going for us.**

GO SOX!