Interleague Series Preview: Cardinals @ Sox

St. Louis Cardinals (42-32)


NL Central: 3.5 GB
Streak: L3
Last 10: 5-5

Batting Stats (NL Rank)
AVG.: .269 (3rd)
OBP: .348 (3)
RUNS: 338 (7)
HRs: 70 (10)
Pitching Stats (NL Rank)
ERA: 4.06 (6)
BAA: .216 (10)
RUNS: 319 (12)
SVs: 23 (t2)

3 Game Series at Fenway Park
Game 1 Friday 7:05
Lohse (8-2, 3.77) vs. Wakefield (4-4, 4.19)
Game 2 Saturday 3:55 FOX
Boggs (1-0, 5.56) vs. Matsuzaka (8-0, 2.53)
Game 3 Sunday 1:35
Pineiro (2-3, 4.02) vs. Lester (6-3, 3.18)

*KEY CARDS (*not including Pujols, who's on the DL):
-RF Ryan Ludwick .305, 16HR, 55BI, 45R, 21 2Bs, .374OBP, .632SLG% the most surprising player on the most surprising team of the season so far, the 29-year-old rightfielder has climbed from an being an undrafted free agent/career minor leaguer to one of the best players in baseball this season.

-3B Troy Glaus .260, 9HR, 43BI, .362OBP, 40BB the big third baseman was brought over from Toronto in a swap of disgruntled players, but so far he isn't making anyone forget about the man he replaced, Scott Rolen. He has heated up a bit in June, hitting 6 of his 9 homers this month, and the 2002 World series MVP with Anaheim is plenty familiar with Fenway Park, where he's batting .313 with 8 homers in his career

-CF Rick Ankiel .251, 11HR, 31BI, 36R, .332OBP the former phenom pitcher turned HGH-using outfielder has slumped quite a bit since being busted as a PED user but he can still put the ball out of the yard, and NO ONE dares run on him after he gunned two men out at third base in one game earlier this season. Batting just .238 away from home and .218 vs. lefties

PREVIEW:
The St. Louis Cardinals return to Fenway tonight for the first time since Game 2 of the 2004 World Series on the same day Curt Schilling announced he will undergo season-ending, and most likely career-ending, surgery.

Ironic, or appropriate?

In case you have been living under a rock for the last four years Schill, while sporting the infamous bloody sock, won that game on October 24th, pitching six innings of one run ball on one good ankle as the Sox won the game, 6-2.

That win gave Boston a 2-0 advantage in the Series, and two games later the Sox won their first championship since 1918, fulfilling a promise Schilling had made to the Boston fans when he signed with the club in the previous off season.

Today the Cards return to the scene of Schill's historic moment, as the town bids adieu to one of its brightest stars and honors the Boston Celtics, which won its first title since 1986 two nights ago at the (new) Garden.

Talk about coming full circle.

But this series isn't about the past, it's about the present and presently the Cards are one of the biggest surprises of the 2008 season. Picked to finish last in the NL Central by many "experts", St. Louis has been better than that all season long, even leading the division for a while before the Cubs heated up and some Cards broke down.

Right now the team is sputtering a bit, losing 5 of its last 7 games, in part because all-everything first baseman Albert Pujols is residing on the DL with a calf injury. But at 10 games over .500 and in the thick of the division and wild card race, the season has already been considered a success in the eyes of Cards fans everywhere.

A series that was not a success for them was that 2004 World Series, as the Sox swept the over matched Birds by a combined score of 24-12, and although the Cards did ultimately win their first title since 1982 when they topped the Tigers in the 2006 Fall Classic, Boston has since gone on to capture another trophy by sweeping the Rockies in 2007.

Alright, enough of the history lesson.

This series will be interesting on a few fronts, mainly for the return of Daisuke Matsukaka from the disabled list on Saturday; J.D. Drew trying to wreak havoc on the club he played his first 6 seasons with; and former Sox swingman and onetime possible closer Joel Pineiro's return to Fenway for the first time since he was let go early last year.

Tonight Tim Wakefield will take his recent hot streak (6 ER, 14H, 2HR in last 21IP) and put it to the test against the Cardinals ace, Kyle Lohse.

The veteran righty has won his last five decisions and has allowed three earned runs or less in his last six starts, so getting to him will be priority one for the Boston batters.

The good news for Boston is that Manny Ramirez (hammy), Coco Crisp (wrist) and Kevin Youkilis (back) should all be back in the lineup for Terry Francona tonight.

The bad news is it's not 2004, and there will be no miraculous 'bloody sock' performances to count on this weekend.

But how 'bout they sweep these guys anyway, just for old time's sake?