Series Preview: Tampa Bay @ Sox

Tampa Bay D-Rays (33-48)
AL EAST: 17GB
STREAK: L-8 LAST 10: 2-8
AVG.: .261 (9th) ERA: 5.62 (14th)
HRs: 95 (4th) RUNS: 381 (10th)

Probable Pitching Matchups:
GM1 Kazmir (5-4, 4.26) vs. Matsuzaka (9-5, 3.80)
Kaz, the Rays great starting hope, has yet to pan out as a true front of the rotation ace, as his ML-leading walk total (105) and 27-24 career record attest to. He does, however, pitch well against the Sox, posting a 5-2 record with a 2.60 ERA with 69 strikeouts in 65.2 innings of work.
Dice-K had a terrific June, although his record (2-2) doesn't reflect it. That's because despite a minuscule 1.59 ERA in five starts, Boston averaged 2 runs per game for him, down from the 8 1/2 per game he got for the first two months of the season.

As long as Boston scores some runs for him, Dice should win this battle of young pitchers heading in opposite directions.
MY PICK: Sox

GM2 Jackson (1-8, 6.88) vs. Wakefield (8-8, 4.31)
Ediwn Jackson has 1-8 record and ERA approaching seven, and has allowed 90 hits, 61 runs and 40 walks in 69.1 innings this season.
MY PICK: Ha ha ha ha ha!!! (Sox)

GM3 Howell (1-2, 5.19) vs. Beckett (11-2, 3.38)
Howell has shown flashes of brilliance since his early June callup (8IP, 1R, 7K vs. KC; 9Ks vs. FLA) but he has also interspersed those outings with bouts of wildness (6ER in 5 inns. in that Marlins game.)

Beckett needs this win to get the All Star start.
MY PICK: Becks will not be denied

Key Players:

• LF Carl Crawford: .285/43R/8-3B/49BI/20SB--as you can tell from the stats, C.C. is the most talented player on the Rays, hence its only All Star representative; he is what they call a five-tool player, and many teams will inquire about him come trading deadline
• RF Delmon Young: .271/9/44--Dmitri's little brother is coming into his own in his first full season; on top of power and speed, he's got a cannon for an arm, as evidenced by his 9 assists this season, 3rd in the AL
• 3B Aki Iwmura: .293/33R/12BI--the Japanese vet was leading the AL in hitting when he went on the DL in early May; a slick fielder, Aki was a Japanese league opponent of tonight's starter, Daisuke Matsuzaka
• DH/OF Jonny Gomes: .246/6/17--not a huge stats guy but a real spark-plug player; if something's going on offensively, Jonny is usually involved. Since being called up from AAA in mid-June, Gomes has ripped 5 homers and had 11 RBIs while batting .322 in 16 games

Old Sox:

• 1B/DH Carlos Pena: .282/18/46--although the Mass native's stay with the Sox last season was brief (18g, 33ABs), he parlayed that stint into a gig with the Rays, and following a tepid April start, he's gone on to hit .302 with 14 homers and 33 RBI since
• P Casey Fossum: 5-7, 7.40--the former promising fifth starter for the Sox from 2001-2003 has had an up & down career since departing Boston in 2004; a starter for most of his career, frequent injuries, an erratic arm and a 37-51 career record dictated a move to the pen. Results haven't been much better

Preview:
Talk about scheduling quirks.

Tonight the Sox finally get to play division rival Tampa Bay for the first time after half of the season has already been completed.

Seriously, how fucked up is that?

Adding to the insanity is the fact that these two squads still have to play the full schedule, meaning 18 games between each division opponent, so out of the next 81 games for Boston, 18 will be played against the Rays, or an astounding 22%.

Earth to Bud Selig: scrap the friggin unbalanced or balanced schedule shit.

Anyway, these two East coast neighbors are connected by more than just a long interstate and millions of transplants (like me) who migrate from Beantown down here to RSN South.

In only a brief 10 seasons of playing each other, the Sox and Rays have already had a cantankerous & storied history together, from bean balls to no-hitters, and from name calling to all-out brawling.

Despite the noticeable advantage in payroll, talent, and victories Boston holds over Tampa Bay, it seems like whenever these two get together there is plenty of excitement, animosity, and just plain fun baseball to be seen.

I'll never forget attending that game at the Trop when Pedro hit Gerald Williams to start the game, touching off a bench clearing melee, only to see Petey settle down and throw a near no-no until former Sox backstop John Flaherty broke it up in the 9th.

Or how 'bout when Nomar hit two grand slams (three homer total) and had 8 ribbies in a 22-4 shellacking of the Rays in the first game of a double header at Fenway in July of 2002?

Or the time D-Lowe no hit the D-Rays in the 4th game of the season in 2002.

Funny how all the memories seem to be of Boston wins.

But the Rays usually play the Sox tough, and a slim 10-9 Sox advantage in games last season can attest to that. Think of it as the little brothers of the AL East trying to overcome the big brother, who just happens to be the BMOC as well.

The games might not be artistic masterpieces all the time, but they are usually exciting and you can almost assuredly count on some wild, wacky things happening this series.

Like maybe even Julio Lugo breaking his hitless streak while facing against his old mates.

Go Sox!