Game Preview Angels @ Sox GM3

Saunders (3-0, 2.15) vs. Masterson (NR)
Game 3 of 3
1:35PM Fenway Park

The revolving rotation continues as Sox tap AA pitcher Justin Masterson to start today

The come up, they go down. And the "who's gonna start?" wheel spins 'round & 'round.

With Sox starters being scratched two days in a row Tuesday and Wednesday Terry Francona and the Boston brass have had to scramble to realign the rotation and provide fill-ins for Josh Beckett (stiff neck) and Daisuke Matsuzaka (flu.)

On Tuesday PawSox righty David Pauley made his first major league start start since 2006 and didn't exactly set the world on fire (4.1IP, 7H, 5ER, 2BB, 3K, HR), and last night Jon Lester moved up a day to replace the ailing Matsuzaka, and those results were less than stellar (5IP, 9H, 4ER, 2BB, 1K, 2HR) also.

Today the team will try something completely different, calling upon Double A hurler Justin Masterson to fill the empty spot in the rotation made by Lester pitching a day ahead of schedule.

Masterson, a 23-year-old who was Boston's 2nd round draft pick in 2006, will use his large frame (6' 6") and heavy sinker to attempt to baffle the hot-hitting Angels, who have racked up 12 runs and 24 hits, 12 for extra bases, in two games against Boston.

Although this will be Masterson's first major league start, he has lit it up at Portland (19IP, 2R, 14H, 23K, 5BB), and the combination of his specialty pitch and the fact that the Halos have never seen him could give the youngster an advantage Pauley and Lester did not have.

At least that's what the team and the Nation are hoping.

To make room on the roster for Masterson the team sent Craig Hansen, who was called up yesterday afternoon and ended up taking the loss last night when he surrendered a 6th inning home run to Casey Kotchman, back to Pawtucket.

The move to bring up Masterson allows Francona to keep his rotation in tact for this weekend's series against the Rays. Tim Wakefield will start the opener here tomorrow night, followed by Clay Buchholz on Saturday, and if all goes well, Beckett will take his regularly scheduled turn on Sunday. (Fingers crossed)

In other illness/injury related news, Jason Varitek will sit out the 5th straight game today as he's still recovering from the flu, and with Wakefield throwing tomorrow night, Kevin Cash will accomplish the ultra-rare feat (in the Tek era) of starting for a full week.

Coco Crisp, who has been nursing a bad hammy, will make his first start in a week today against Angels' lefty Joe Saunders, and Kevin Youkilis is back in the lineup after sitting out last night's game with a stiff back.

After today's getaway matinee the Sox should have most of their regular lineup back intact for the series at the Trop, but in the meantime they will have to rely on replacements and kids like Masterson to patch the holes created this week.

No pressure, kid. It's just the first place defending World Champs you're playing for.