2007 ALCS: Rotations are set, and Schill is No.2

In a move about as surprising as Lindsay Lohan falling off the wagon, Terry Francona announced his starters for the first three games of the ALCS, and sizzling Curt Schilling, not disappointing Daisuke Matsuzaka, will get the call to start Game 2 Saturday night in Fenway against Cleveland.

Here are the probable pitching matchups for the first three games.

GM1 @ BOS Fri 7:10 FOX
C.C. Sabathia (19-7, 3.21; 1-0, 5.40) vs. Josh Beckett (20-7, 3.27; 1-0, 0.00)
GM2 @ BOS Sat 8:21 FOX
Fausto Carmona (19-8, 3.06; 0-0, 1.00) vs. Curt Schilling (9-8, 3.87; 1-0, 0.00)
GM3 @ CLE Mon 7:10 FOX
Daisuke Matsuzaka (15-12, 4.40; 0-0, 5.79) vs. Jake Westbrook (6-9, 4.32; 0-1, 10.80)

Schilling tossed another postseason gem in the ALDS Game 3 against the Angles, and now owns a 9-2 mark with a 1.93 ERA in the playoffs, and with Dice K struggling with fatigue and command for the better part of the second half of the season, including his short-leash effort in Game 2 of the Angles series, it was an absolute no-brainer to give Schill the assignment.

So the way it stands right now is we've got the two best starters for each team going toe-to-toe in Games 1 & 2 over the weekend, and then Boston will turn to Dice K in Game 3 and possibly Tim Wakefield, who threw today to test his back and might be able to go in Game 4, in C-Town to begin the week.

After that it's back to the aces again, and you gotta figure if Beckett & Schill win the first two, and either Daisuke or Wake can get a win in Cleveland, then it will be up to either Beckett or Schilling to record one win to secure a spot in the Series.

Gotta love those odds.

I know, I'm getting ahead of myself, but I can't help it. The Sox are peaking at just the right time after a late season swoon, the weather is starting to cool off (it was only 83 here today), and the hated Stankees and their loathsome fans are blubbering over thier third straight first round loss and the potential loss of the core of the team.

Did I mention the Stankees lost?

Speaking of that glorious topic, there was a great post today on the Awful Announcing blog about that obnoxious gasbag Suzyn Waldman and her tearful recollection on-air of Joe Torre addressing the team after choking to Cleveland last night. listen about 1/4 of the way through the audio to hear the ever-loving epitome of a homer, a woman who cries because a coach might leave a team. Even John Sterling was appalled. Priceless.

And these idiots have the nerve to call Boston fans obnoxious?