Series Preview: Sox at Tigers

Red Sox (20-13, 1st in AL East) at
Detroit Tigers (14-18, 5th in AL Central)
4 game series @ Comerica Park


Game 1 Monday 705 ESPN
Matsuzaka (4-0, 2.52) vs. Bonderman (2-2, 3.86)
Game 2 Tuesday 705
Wakefield (2-1, 4.03) vs. Robertson (1-3, 6.82)
Game 3 Wednesday
Buchholz (2-2, 3.71) vs. Galarraga (2-1, 1.88)
Game 4 Thursday 705
Beckett (3-2, 4.19) vs. Verlander (1-5, 6.28)

What to watch for: can the improved Tigers avenge Boston's early April beatdown?
When Detroit came to Fenway for a three game set April 8th, they brought an 0-6 record and a ginourmous gorilla-like payroll to town. Boston took 2 of 3 in that series, scoring 19 runs, but since then Detroit has gone 13-10 to get right back into the race in the AL Central.

Who to watch for: Curtis Granderson .317/13R/5HR/.440OBP in 11 gms
The speedy center fielder is the offensive catalyst for the Tigers, and the fact that Detroit got off to such a horrible (2-10) start can be directly attributed to Grandy's beginning the season on the DL.

With him back, and mashing the ball better than ever, it's safe to say that the Tiger's recent resurgence can be tied to Granderson's return to the top of the lineup.

PREVIEW:
The Sox embark on their first extended road trip since the season-opening trip from hell, and the three teams they face - Detroit, Minnesota, and Baltimore - all are within striking distance of the lead in their respective divisions. Or in the Twins case, leading its division.

So it would not be a stretch to say this is an important early season trip for the beat up boys from Boston after spending the better part of the past three weeks playing in the cozy (and cold and drizzly) confines of Fenway Park.

And this series against the Tigers should be as good a test as any to see where the club stands right now.

Sure the Sox just got done tearing upstart Tampa Bay a new rayhole, and they did handle the Tigers pretty easily back in early April when Detroit was the laughingstock of the league. But Detroit has been hitting the cover off the ball since then, and even its current three game losing streak might play a factor in why the Sox should be wary of a letdown heading into spacious Comerica Park.

On the heels of this recent skid, Tigers manager Smoky Jim Leyland had promised significant changes to the lineup, and the first of those alterations came this afternoon when Detroit designated outfielder Jacque Jones for assignment.

Jones, picked up in the off season after he spent the past two year with the Cubs, was batting .165 with 1 homer and 5 RBI and a putrid .244 OBP in 24 games when Leyland finally decided he had enough.

The last time the Marlboro Man went on a rampage, during the Tigers dismal start, Detroit went on a run that took them from the worst record in the major leagues to within three games of the Central lead as of today.

Luckily for Boston it will have its top starter on the mound for the opener of this 4-gamer, and this year every time Daisuke Matsuzaka has taken the ball to start his team haas come away with a win.

Dice-K, who skipped a start two weeks ago due to the flu, has jumped out to a 4-0 record, and Boston is 6-0 when he pitches, thanks to Top 10 figures in wins, ERA, strikeouts and WHIP. he has not been overpowering in most of his starts, but he has learned how to minimize his mistakes and keep damage to a minimum when he does get into a jam.

His opponent tonight, Jeremy Bonderman, has had an okay season so far but has probably been their most consistent starter out of the big 3 of him, Justin Verlander and Nate Robertson.

Bonderman did produce the only win of the previous series with the Sox, and he's coming off a victory at Stankee Stadium in which he allowed 2 earned runs and 5 hits in 7 2/3 innings of a 6-2 Detroit win.

Boston will be shorthanded in the outfield tonight as well thanks to Brandon Moss being disabled after having his appendix removed, meaning that Julio Lugo is the emergency outfielder should one of the other three four go down.

Gulp.

So set the DVR for 7PM on ESPN and get ready to see which Tigers team shows up. The one that looked like the second coming of the 119 loss disaster of 2003, or the one that was 4 games from winning the World Series in 2006.