Game preview: Sox @ Cleveland GM 2

Wakefield (1-0, 3.27) vs. Byrd (0-2, 11.05)
7PM Progressive Field

The Sox will try to take both games of this micro series when two crafty old vets, 41-year-old Tim Wakefield and 37-year-old Paul Byrd, he of the whirly bird delivery and HGH rumors, take the mound tonight at the stadium previously known as the Jake.

The matchup will be a rematch of Game 4 of the 2007 ALCS, when Wakefield gave up five runs in the 5th inning to get tagged for the loss while Byrd threw 5 innings of 6-hit, 2-run ball to get the win.

But it was just before that game that a report surfaced about Byrd's possible involvement with performance enhancing drugs, and it cast a shadow over his start and career that still has not lifted.

Neither pitcher has thrown well this year, with Byrd getting tagged for 11 runs and 13 hits in 7.1 innings over 2 starts, while Wake has given up 9 hits and 8 walks in his two starts but only 4 earned runs.

Speaking of shitty pitching, last night's goat, Tribe closer Joe Borowski, said he will probably have his arm examined to see why he had no velocity in the 9th inning, causing him to cough up a 1-run lead. On the moonshot that Manny hit off him to win the game, the 2007 saves leader said "It's like I'm stuck in one gear. I had no extra gear. Not only that, I couldn't locate."

It wasn't hard to locate the pitch he threw to Manny, though.

With Papi rapping 2 hits to raise his average over .100, Manny, Youk, Coco and Drew aall in a groove and Byrd on the mound, tonight would be a good win to get as the Sox head to the Bronx tomorrow.

If Borowski pitches again, that win might be guaranteed.