Series Preview: Texas @ Sox

Texas Rangers (7-9) at Red Sox (10-7)
4 game series at Fenway

Game 1 Fri 7PM
Mendoza (0-1) vs. Matsuzaka (3-0)
Game 2 Sat 7PM
Jennings (0-3) vs. Lester (1-2)
Game 3 Sun 135P
Millwood (1-2) vs. Wakefield (1-0)
Game 4 Mon 11AM
Gabbard (1-0) vs. Buchholz (0-1)

What to watch for: a pair of old Sox return to Fenway
Former Sox players Kasson Gabbard and David Murphy make their first visit to Fenway since being traded for colossal bust reliever Eric Gagne last July 31st.

With Murphy (.305, HR, 6BI, 9R) and Gabbard (1-0, team low 2.41ERA) off to good starts and showing signs of becoming solid contributors for years to come, and Gagne off blowing saves for the Brewers, this could be one of those trades that comes back to haunt Boston for years to come.

Who to watch: Josh Hamilton .308, 3HR, 15RBI
This kid represents the comeback story of all comebacks as he has gone from prospective big league bust to one of the majors best success stories in the last couple of years.

The former Tampa Bay phenom and No 1 draft pick has battled years of substance abuse and MLB-sanctioned suspensions to climb back to the majors, earning Comeback Player of the Year honors with the Reds last season before being traded to Texas in the off season. His 5-tool talents and sweet swing make him one of the most exciting players to watch in the game.

PREVIEW:
The Sox return to Fenway and finally catch a break with the schedule as the lowly Texas Rangers come to town for a 4-game wraparound series that concludes with the Patriot's Day morning game on Monday.

Fresh off a couple of long games against the Stanks in the Bronx Boston should welcome the Rangers to Fenway with open arms. The Rangers notoriously own one of the worst pitching staffs in the league, and having guys like Luis Mendoza and Jason Jennings throw in this series should be a welcome relief from having to face the Mike Mussinas and Andy Pettittes of the league.

The highlight of this series should be the return of a couple of young prospects the Sox gave up at the trade deadline last season for a man who will forever be reviled in the Hub.

Outfielder David Murphy, who had worked his way up from the minors to make the big club and looked like a potential mainstay in the Sox outfield for years to come, and pitcher Kasson Gabbard, who along with Jon Lester promised to be the backbones of the Boston rotation for many seasons as well, were surprisingly sent packing for washed-up former closer Eric Gagne.

With Gagne already gone and Murphy and Gabbard having the potential to be quality contributors at the major league level for years to come, that move will go down in the annals of bad Sox trades alongside Larry Anderson for Jeff Bagwell and Babe Ruth for cash.

Okay, maybe not that bad, but don't you just get the feeling that Murphy will come back to beat his old club with a clutch later homer and Gabbard will twirl a masterpiece to defeat his former team?

Aside from those guys, the Rangers are looking like the typical Rangers teams of the past few...decades: plenty of offense, lousy pitching. "Ace" Kevin Millwood is 27-28 in his 2+ seasons with the club, and their No 2 starter is the immortal Vincente Padilla.

After losing guys like Gary Matthroids Jr, Gagne, Mark Teixeira and closer Francisco Cordero, this team has gone from potential contender in the AL West to a sure fire division doormat for the foreseeable future.

Hopefully Boston will be able to take advantage of this break in the schedule and rattle off at least 3 wins in this series before the potent Angels come to town on Tuesday.

And keep your fingers crossed that Murphy doesn't tear it up over the weekend and Gabbard doesn't toss a no-no on Marathon Monday.