Series Preview: Orioles @ Sox

Baltimore Orioles (49-55) @ Red Sox (64-41)
AL EAST: Bos leads BAL by 14 1/2 games
Season Series: Bos leads, 4-2

Probable Pitching Matchups:
GM1 Tue 705 Bedard (10-4, 3.05) vs. Beckett (13-4)
Beckett is coming off that tough loss in Cleveland as the Tribe and Fausto Carmona blanked the Bososx in a 1-0 thriller last Wednesday. Bedard is B-More's best starter, so this one has all the makings of another pitcher's duel. MY PICK: Sox 1-0

GM2 Wed 705 Traschel (5-7, 5.26) vs. TBD
With the pitching matchups unsettled thanks to the trade of Kason Gabbard it's hard to say who will prevail in this one. No matter who pitches for Boston, though, they'll be going up against Steve Traschel, so...MY PICK: Sox

GM3 Thu 105 Guthrie (7-3, 2.89) vs. Wakefield
Wake will probably move up to pitch Game2, so who knows who'll start this one. Either way Guthrie has been pitching well, so look for the Birds to take this game out of the three. MY PICK: B-More

Player to watch: Brian Roberts .316/69R/64RBI--the diminutive second sacker leads the O's in average, runs, RBI and steals and he's also 8th in the AL in walks (60) and 7th in on-base percentage (.403)

Preview:
The Sox return to Fenway following a productive 5-2 road trip that culminated with that depressing loss at Tampa Bay but have to be buoyed by the deadline deal that will make former NL Cy Young winner Eric Gagne the setup man for Jonathan Papelbon, further strengthening an already formidable bullpen.

Unfortunately the homestand will be shorter than Billy Donovan's stint as the Magic coach as the team will play a quick three-game set before heading back to the west coast for another series in Seattle.

Weren't they just there?

Another unfortunate situation is the fact that Boston is catching the Birds at the wrong time--Baltimore has gone 11-5 since the break and its loss to the Stanks on Sunday snapped a six game winning streak for interim manager Dave Trembley's team; Trembley replaced fired skipper Sam Perlozzo on June 18th.

And while the Os are still nowhere near being a contending team, they still pose a lot of problems for Boston. I'm sure I don't need to remind anyone of the Mother's Day Miracle, when the Sox needed a 6-run ninth just to knock off the pesky Birds and take two of three in that series.

Someone may need to remind me of that game one day, since I infamously missed it.

Also the Sox rotation is in a little disarray thanks to the Gagne deal, which included tomorrow's starter Kason Gabbard being sent to Texas. Word is Wakefield will move up to pitch tomorrow, then who knows who'll go in Game 3.

I look for Boston to take two of three before heading out West with a revamped bully and with the team looking forward to the imminent return of Curt Schilling to the rotation, it's just a matter of time before Boston's pitching staff is unquestionably the best in baseball.

Go Sox!