Game Preview: Toronto at Sox

Halladay (14-6, 3.87) vs. Beckett (16-6, 3.29)
Fenway Park 705

Looks like I picked the right time to rejoin the Nation.

After missing four of the more exciting games of the season including the first Sox no hitter in five years I am jumping right back into the fold with this doozie of a pitching matchup.

Call it Cy past vs. Cy future.

While Josh Beckett can take over the major league lead in wins with a victory tonight, a category that will go a long way to deciding who wins this year's Cy Young award, he will be opposed to a man who is no stranger to being the best pitcher in baseball.

Roy Halladay, the 2003 Cy winner, has won at least 12 games in five of the last six years, and after a slow start this season aided by a trip to the DL the ace is just hitting his stride, winning three straight starts before a recent 0-1 stretch over his last three starts despite pitching at least 8 innings in all three games.

He doesn't have a stellar record against the Sox in his career (9-9, 4.79) but anytime he takes the mound there is a chance the opponent will be completely shut down.

Beckett, meanwhile, will try to shake off his last horrendous start when he allowed 13 hits and four runs in 6 1/3 innings of a 4-3 loss to New York on Wednesday. Before that unfortunate outing Becks had won three in a row and appeared well on his way to winning his first Cy.

Now that the competition has stiffened up, he will have to put together a terrific final month in order to not only win the coveted award but help his team win the division crown and ease into the playoffs.

Although the quality of the starters suggests this won't be an offensive explosion like most of the last few games, the way Boston's lineup is clicking one can't be so sure.

Despite the absence of Manny Ramirez, who has missed the last six games with that oblique injury, the Boston batters have been mashing the ball to the tune of 34 runs and 50 hits in the last 4 games, with the miraculous Mike Lowell leading the way.

The ageless vet is laying to rest all the talk of his notorious second half swoons by ripping off a current 16-game hit streak in which he's batting a hearty .500 (30-60) and has knocked in 20 runs.

With 101 ribbies he's just four off his career high and leads the Sox sluggers Ortiz (94) and Manny (86) by a pretty wide margin.

Throw in the infusion of youth from Jacoby Ellsbury and the amazing, ever-improving Dustin Pedroia, and the offense might just be performing at its best level of the season, Manny or no Manny.

All the same I think he'll still be welcomed back when he's ready to return.

And I know I'm ready to welcome Red Sox baseball into my life after a brief holiday hiatus.

What are the chances of Beckett throwing a no-hitter tonight?