Game preview: Boston @ Chicago GM3

Wakefield (15-10, 4.35) vs. Buehrle (9-8, 3.42)
US Cellular Field 355 FOX

The king of all decisions takes the mound for Boston today as Tim Wakefield tries to extend his streak of recording a decision in every start this season to a remarkable 26 games.

The red-hot Wake will carry an 8-2 record over his last 10 starts into this game as he hopes to improve on a subpar record against the Chisox (6-10, 5.43 ERA in 26 apps), a stark contrast to the team he owns & dominated in his last two starts, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

His mound opponent was almost a teammate of his. The Red Sox hotly pursued Chicago starter Mark Buehrle before the trading deadline, only to learn they would not acquire the fast-working lefty when he signed a 4-year, $56 million dollar extension with Chicago.

But ever since inking his new pact the once-hot commodity has slipped significantly, posting a 3-4 mark in 8 starts since the deal with his ERA ballooning from 3.03 to 3.42.

The normally stingy Buehrle has also allowed a ton of hits this season, allowing 81 knocks in his last 10 starts, including back-to-back 10 & 14-hit debacles in late July.

The Boston offense will also hope to keep the good times rolling after drubbing the Chicago staff to the tune of 21 runs and 28 hits in yesterday's twinbill. And the good news is that Big Papi has had success off Buehrle and the Chisox staff.

This season Ortiz is batting .429 (6-14) with two homers against the White Sox, and in his career Papi has hit Buehrle at a .375 clip (15-40) with a pair of homers and 7 ribbies.

But the key to the Boston offense this season has been the superb Mike Lowell, who raked in four more ribs yesterday to run his team-leading total to 90, good for 5th in the AL.

If anyone had said that Mike Lowell would have five more RBIs than Manny and seven more than Papi at this point in the season, they would have brushed you aside like a
ugly chick at a club entrance.

So after the long day & night yesterday the two Sox get to play in front of a national TV audience in the middle of the afternoon today, and if all goes well Boston will be able to show the doubting baseball world that their offense is fine, their pitching staff is better, and they're ready to roll into the Bronx on Tuesday with a full head of steam while scraping a crushed Chisox team off their windshield.

Let's hope Wake can keep the good times rolling.