Series Preview: Sox @ Rays

Tampa Bay Rays (49-32)
AL East: Up 1/2 gm
Streak: W1
Last 10: 7-3


3 game series at Tropicana Field
Game 1 Monday 7:10
Masterson (4-1, 3.43) vs. Shields (5-5, 3.76)
Game 2 Tuesday 7:10
Wakefield (5-5, 3.88) vs. Garza (6-4, 3.76)
Game 3 Wednesday 7:10 ESPN
Matsuzaka (9-1, 3.21) vs. Kazmir (7-3, 2.28)

Season Series: Bos leads 6-3

Preview:
In the words of the lyrical gang banger turned kiddie flick star Ice Cube:

Once again it's on!

The Sox and Rays will reprise their decade of dislike when the two American League East rivals kick off a three game set at the Trop tonight, and the interest in this series is at an all time high for many reasons, such as...

-the Rays overtook the Sox for the top spot in the division yesterday, the latest point (by far) in a season Tampa Bay has ever occupied first place

-the Raysbrawl at Fenway at the beginning of this month that resulted in 8 players being suspended, including tonight's Rays starter James Shields and instigator Coco Crisp, who will miss the series (altogether now - awwwwwwwww!)

-the history of violence between the clubs that dates back to the Pedro Martinez/Ice Williams incident in 2000 and includes about 400 hit batters

-a terrorist threat made against the Sox that will force MLB to provide extra security for Boston personnel to and from the stadium

-the Rays are finally good enough to earn the respect of the big bad Bosox.

These are just a few of the factors making this series the most talked about of the season.

Other than that it's just a standard, run-of-the-mill mid-season showdown.

Now I'm not going into in depth detail of all the past disagreements these teams have engaged in, or rehash the June 5th brawl, or go on and on about how the small market Rays are the surprise of the league with the best record in baseball despite having the second lowest payroll.

That's what the World Wide Leader is for.

What I am going to say is that for the first time since, scratch that for the first time ever a Red Sox/Rays series carries playoff implications, meaning this old fashioned (AL East) family feud has finally graduated to full-fledged rivalry status.

After all what was it that the Stanks fans used to say about The Rivalry? It's not a real rivalry as long as only one team keeps winning the meaningful games.

After taking three straight games in St. Pete in late April the Rays sent a message that they might finally be worthy of rival consideration. And even though they lost the next six contests, the animosity combined with the fact that the Rays have hung in all season and have reclaimed the top spot in the east makes this series the most important in franchise history.

Not that these three games will decide which team wins the division, makes the playoffs or sits home in October. But a series win by the Rays will go a long way towards earning them respect within the game and from the players on the opposite side of the field.

As for the field I don't expect there to be any hi jinks or beanbrawls happening this week. Both clubs are still recovering from the multiple suspensions handed down from the last skirmish, as evidenced by Coco having to sit this set out nearly a month after the brawl took place, and nobody wants to miss time with the division race so tight.

Plus the umps are going to be calling this series tighter than any in recent memory.

Terrorist threats aside it should be a fun three games in the cool, crowded environment of Tropicana Field, with fans from both sides cheering on their teams knowing that whoever comes out on top in this series will be sitting atop the standings this weekend.

May the best team win.

As long as its the Sox.

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Interleague Series preview: Sox @ Astros

Houston Astros (37-42)

NL Central: 5th, 12 GB
Streak: W1
Last 10: 4-6

Offensive stats (NL rank)
AVG.: .262 (5th)
OBP: .321 (13)
RUNS: 345 (10)
HRS: 81 (7)
Pitching Stats (NL Rank)
ERA: 4.42 (11)
BAA: .270 (13)
RUNS: 377 (6)
SVS: 21 (4)

3 game series at Minute Maid Park
Game 1 Friday 8:05ET
Matsuzaka (8-1, 3.46) vs. Hernandez (NR)
Game 2 7:05ET
Lester (6-3, 3.13) vs. Backe (5-8, 4.82)
Game 3 Sunday 2:05ET
Beckett (7-5, 3.73) vs. Mohler (4-3, 4.03)

KEY 'STROS:
- 1B Lance Berkman .367, 21HR, 63RBI, .450OBP, 70R, 26 2B, .705 SLG% I would be remiss if I didn't mention Taylor Hicks' doppelganger first, since he is leading the club in every offensive stat including man boobs. Earlier this season he was hotter than jalapeno salsa, when a 17 game hitting streak had his average at .399, but now he is merely mildly flaming. And I mean that in a nice way.

- LF Carlos Lee .277, 17HR, 59RBI, 38R, 22 2B, .527 SLG% the gargantuan slugger had been off his game this season until a recent hot streak made his stats look respectable, but he can always hit the ball a mile at any given time. Close runner up to Berkman for the team leads in most major offensive categories, including man boobs.

-Miguel Tejada .288, 10HR, 43RBI, .327OBP, 54R, .455 SLG% the artist formerly known as Miggy has found a home in Houston, the perfect place for a former MVP/juicer who lied about his alleged involvement with PEDs as well as his age to hide out. After all, Clemens and Pettitte laid low there for years

EX SOX:
- 2B Mark Loretta .252, 2HR, 16BI, 10R, 8 2B, 14BB in 50 gms the 2006 Sox starting second baseman will forever be remembered in the Nation for blasting that game winning run against the Mariners on Patriot's Day. Not to mention he hit .285 with 59 ribbies and 75 runs scored and played solid D for the club that year.

He was just named the starter after Kaz Matsui was placed on the DL on Tuesday

PREVIEW:
Boston kicks off its 2008 interleague swan song in the city that is synonymous with heated Red Sox rivalries: Houston.

You remember all the times the Sox and 'Stros duked it out, going head to head by engaging in heated battles to decide...what's that? This is only the second time these two clubs have ever met, the first coming in 2003?

Never mind.

Either way Boston will say farewell to Bud Seligs's brainchild this weekend by taking on the embattled Astros. And I say embattled because the team just had to jettison tonight's scheduled starter, Shawn Chacon, after he went all Latrell Spreewell on the club's GM, Ed Wade.

In his stead Houston will call upon recently signed starter Runelvys Hernandez, a charter member of the All Name team whose previous claim to fame was when he started 4-0 with a 1.10 ERA for Kansas City in 2003 before injuries and ineffectiveness caused him to go 17-29 in parts of four season since then.

Another thing in Boston's favor is it won't have to face Roy Oswalt, who despite having an off season (6-8, 4.77) is still by far the best starter Houston has on its roster.

In other words, the Sox had better sweep these guys or face the fugly fact of having to head to Tampa Bay on Monday looking up at the red hot Rays in the standings.

If the Sox have any hopes of sweeping the 'Stros they must have a quality outing tonight from their own embattled starter, Daisuke Matsuzaka.

After spending almost a month on the DL with a shoulder ailment, Matsuzaka returned to the mound a week ago tonight and looked like one of my son's Little League teammates in an embarrassing effort against the Cardinals at Fenway.

Dice-K looked lost and lethargic in his one plus inning of work, allowing six hits, three walks and seven runs while retiring just three batters, and even though his numbers were made worse when reliever Chris Smith surrendered a grand slam to Troy Glaus after relieving Matsuzaka, everyone in the Nation knew how ugly and unsuccessful this return to action was.

Should Dice suffer a similar fate against the weaker Astros lineup, a team that is last in the NL in walks (221) and is near the bottom in on base percentage, then the club will have to do some serious thinking about what direction to take with the trade deadline a month away.

Do we want to mortgage the future by dealing for a CC Sabathia? Of course not. But if Matsuzaka really is running on fumes after pitching so many innings in Japan the team might have no choice but to go after a horse in order to keep its postseason aspirations alive.

All of this speculation could be put to rest if he comes out tonight and throws seven innings of 2-run ball.

But if he doesn't you can bet Theo's phone will be ringing off the hook this weekend, and it'll soon be deal or no deal time for the Boston GM.

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Game Preview: D-Backs @ Sox GM2

Davis (2-3, 3.65) vs. Masterson (4-1, 3.00)
Game 2 of 3 7:05 @ Fenway Park

Boston will look to get back on the winning track at Fenway Park when rookie Justin Masterson puts his undefeated home record on the line against inspirational Arizona lefty Doug Davis.

Like Sox starter Jon Lester, Davis has come back from battling cancer to continue his career in the major leagues. Diagnosed with a thyroid condition earlier this year, the 32-year-old veteran spent six weeks on the DL receiving treatments before returning to action in late May.

In his first four starts since his return he was up and down, allowing one and three earned runs in a couple of starts and then five and six earned in the other two.

Since then he has been lights out in his last two starts, allowing just 9 hits and 1 run with 15 strikeouts in 13 innings of work, yet he doesn't have a win to show for it.

But the fact that he has come back from the Big C and continued to be a productive member of a pennant contending team is a big enough win in itself.

Masterson, meanwhile, will try to continue to prove that he belongs on the big club for the foreseeable future when he makes his seventh start of the season tonight.

After dropping his first decision in Cincinnati a week and a half ago the 23-year-old bounced back with a solid showing in Philadelphia last Wednesday to earn the first road victory of his career.

In four starts at Fenway Masterson in 3-0 with a 2.59 ERA and a .169 BAA, and the kid has yet to allow more than four earned runs in any start this season.

Just the fact that he's made everyone forget about Clay Buchholz, who only threw a no hitter last September, is an accomplishment worth noting.

If the Sox are to break this mini-schneid at home, losing 3 of the last 4 games, it will need to get its offense going. In the four games since returning home the Sox have scored just 13 runs, and only a walk-off homer by Kevin Youkilis separates them from sitting at 0-4 on this home stand.

Speaking of Youk, according to the Globe he is scratched tonight following his run in with an errant Mike Lowell toss during between inning warmups last night that resulted in a nasty shiner below his right eye. He will visit a specialist and then it will be decided when he will return to action.

With or without Youk's hot bat, Boston needs to score some runs off Davis and get this game in the win column. The Diamondbacks had been in a horrible slump, are terrible on the road, having just been swept in Minnesota, and have fewer impact players than the no-name Cardinals.

No excuses, boys. Bring this one home tonight.

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Interleague Series Preview: Diamondbacks @ Sox

Arizona Diamondbacks (39-37)


AL West: Up 3.5 gms
Streak: L3
Last 10: 4-6

Offensive Stats (NL Rank):
AVG.: .248 (13th)
OBP: .324 (10)
RUNS: 350 (7)
HRs: 81 (6)
Pitching Stats (NL rank):
ERA: 3.96 (5th)
BAA: 248 (3)
RUNS: 339 (11)
SVs: 17 (6)

3 Game Series at Fenway Park
Game 1 Monday 7:05 ESPN
Haren (7-4, 3.26) vs. Beckett (7-4, 3.87)
Game 2 Tuesday 7:05
Davis (2-3, 3.65) vs. Masterson (4-1, 3.00)
Game 3 Wednesday 7:05 ESPN2
Johnson (4-5, 5.09) vs. Wakefield (4-5, 4.17)

KEY D-BACKS:
-1B Connor Jackson .310, 7HR, 40BI, .400OBP and 3B Mark Reynolds .252, 16HR, 47BI, .496 SLG% Wanna know why the 'Backs are such a mediocre offensive team? These two nobodies are leading the club in average, homers, RBI and OBP, that's why.

- CF Chris Young .233, 47R, 13HR, 39BI the former phenom is having a hard time adjusting to big league pitching, but he is still exciting to watch, especially in the field

-SS Stephen Drew .268, 10HR, 27BI, 40R, 15 2B the much-hyped high draft pick has got a LONG way to go to match the offensive prowess of his elder sibling, J.D.. His and Young's slow development have hindered the progress of this young team.

PREVIEW:
Remember when Arizona started the season like a house on fire, jumping out to an incredible 20-8 record and looking like they were going to wrap up the NL West by mid-May?

Me either.

Since then the team is 19-28 and has lost 20 of its last 31 games, and although it has maintained a decent lead in the West it's only because the other clubs in that division (Dodgers, Giants, Pads & Rocks) are some of the worst/most disappointing in the league.

The thing that has kept the team above the fray has been its pitching. Perennial Cy Young candidate Brandon Webb (11-4, 3.40) jumped out to a 9-0 start before a recent slump brought him back to earth, and Dan Haren has been a welcome addition since being acquired in a trade in the off season with the Oakland A's.

Throw in a solid bullpen, anchored by closer Brandon Lyon (15 svs, 2.43 ERA) and what you have is a team that probably had been playing over its head early but has a strong, young nucleus and enough pitching to make it to the postseason.

Tonight the over/under achieving Diamondbacks come to Fenway for the second time since interleague play began and the first time since 2002, and with Boston almost unbeatable at home (save for this last weekend) and Arizona 15-22 away from the desert, a series win is there for the taking for the Sox.

Especially since they won't have to face Webb.

Boston comes into this series having lost two of three to the Cards this weekend and with some serious question marks regarding its pitching staff.

After spending a month on the disabled list Daisuke Matsuzaka looked lost in translation in his return to the mound on Saturday, surrendering seven earned runs in just one inning of work in a 9-3 loss to St. Louis. His ineffectiveness, combined with his inability to consistently throw strikes all season, has got the Nation and presumably Sox management in a quandary as to what is really wrong with him.

As for the other starters Bartolo Colon is on the DL, Curt Schilling is done for the year, and Tim Wakefield has been as hard to get a handle on as one of his patented flutterballs.

The situation in the pen is worse than the rotation.

Hideki Okajima is a shell of his former self, and with every big hit/home run he allows you can sense his frustration and depression with the situation mounting.

Mike Timlin is on the DL with a bum knee, which considering his plus-7.00 ERA and season-long ineffectiveness is a blessing (not) in disguise, and you never know how guys like Craig Hansen, Manny Delcarmen, Javier Lopez and now even Jonathan Papelbon (2 blown saves in a week) are going to perform at any given time.

The only consistent pen man has been David Aardsma, who has allowed just 2 earned runs in his last 11 appearances while lowering his ERA from 3.27 to 2.60, and the chrome-domed fireballer struck out the only six Cards batters he faced in two games over the weekend.

Despite all the injuries and inconsistencies Boston still owns the second-best record in the Major Leagues and the best record in the AL thanks to an awesome offense that is 4th in the bigs in runs scored, 2nd in on base and slugging percentage and 3rd in batting average.

What all this means is that the Sox better jump on the D-Backs' pitchers because there's no guarantee the Boston staff will be able to shut down even the anemic Arizona offense.

Without Web the toughest test will come tonight when Haren faces the Sox for the first time since his days with the A's. Fortunately he's never had success against them at Fenway, posting an 0-3 record with a 4.60 ERA in three career starts there.

Boston will be counting on Josh Beckett to step up and produce like he did last season, and with wins in three of his last four decisions and by lowering his ERA from 4.67 to 3.87 in that time, the hard-throwing right hander looks ready to do just that.

With the Rays still breathing down Boston's back for the lead in the East and the streaking Stankees suddenly looming in the background, a series win is a must and a sweep would be even better.

Just as long as they don't drop two of three again or get swept, in which case there would be many fans lighting up the message boards calling for drastic changes to be made to this championship-caliber club.

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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?

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Interleague Series Preview: Sox @ Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies (41-30)
NL East: Up 3 gms
Streak: L2
Last 10: 6-4

Offensive Stats (league):
AVG: .264 (4th)
RS: 381 (2)
HRS: 100 (2)
Pitching Stats (league)
ERA: 3.82 (4th)
RA: 291(14)
SVs: 20(4)

3 Game Series @ Citizens Bank Ballpark
Game 1 Monday 7:05 ESPN
Colon (4-1, 3.41) vs. Hammels (6-4, 3.27)
Game 2 Tuesday 7:05
Lester (5-3, 3.43) vs. Moyer (7-3, 4.12)
Game 3 Wednesday 1:05
Masterson (3-1, 2.90) vs. Kendrick(6-2, 4.54)

KEY PHILS:

-2B Chase Utley .309, 22HR, 61BI, .401OBP, 55R, .636SLG% not only is the spunky second sacker leading the Phills in every offensive category but he is leading the majors in homers and is second in the NL in RBI. On a team with Ryan Howard. Crazy.

-1B Ryan Howard .217, 17HR, 58BI, 47R, 95K, .319OBP, .464SLG% the average is pitiful but the power numbers are still there for the big first baseman; many think the huge arbitration sum ($10 mil) he was awarded in the offseason has affected his play on the field. Still, he can kill you with the longball at any time and he has 15 RBI in his last 10 games

-LF Pat Burrell .283, 18HR, 47RBI, 56BB, .425OBP, .602SLG% Pat the Bat has been rumored to be traded every year this decade, yet he keeps shrugging off the rumors and criticism and produces; batting .350 (10-35) in his last 10 games with 4 homers and 7 RBI

PREVIEW:
One interleague road series down, one more to go.

But this time instead of facing one of the weaker teams in the National League Boston will take on fellow division leader the Philadelphia Phillies, which possesses a potent offense and solid pitching much like the Sox.

So potent an offense that they scored 20 runs the other night against the St. Louis Cardinals, the most in the majors this season, and it was the second time they had scored 20 this season.

With weapons like ML home run leader Utley, power threat Ryan Howard and versatile Pat Burrell, this team is tough to outscore, and when you add a pitching staff that's one of the top in the league, what you have is the makings of a tough road series before Boston heads home to play the Cards this weekend.

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Interleague Series Preview: Sox @ Cincy

Cincinnati Reds (32-36)


NL Central: 11 1/2 GB
Streak: W1
Last 10: 4-6

NL Batting Stats (rank)
AVG: .251 (13)
RS: 307 (t7)
HRs: 76 (t4)
NL Pitching Stats (rank)
ERA: 4.49 (t12)
RA: 336 (3rd most)
SVs: 12 (13)

3 game series at Great American Ballpark
Game 1 Friday 7:10
Masterson (3-0, 2.59) vs. Harang (2-9, 4.31)
Game 2 Saturday 3:55 FOX
Wakefield (4-4, 4.33) vs. Volquez (9-2, 1.56)
Game 3 Sunday 1:35 TBS
Beckett (6-4, 4.22) vs. Bailey (0-2, 6.30)

KEY REDS:

-RF Ken Griffey Jr .256, 7HR, 30BI, 31R, 40BB, .365OBP he might not be the same "kid" who wowed baseball fans every time he came to the plate or took the field in his heyday, but after becoming just the sixth man to hit 600 home runs last week, the older Jr proved he's still got it

-LF Adam Dunn .229, 16HR, 41BI, 56BB, 66K, .397OBP the country-strong rightfielder has long been rumored to be traded to a contender such as Boston, and if the man they call Donkey has a big series it could be considered an audition for a deadline deal. Despite his hit-or-miss propensity and paltry average Dunn leads the league in walks and the team in OBP, and when he does get a hold of one it's a sight to see

-CF Jay Bruce .391, 3HR, 11BI, 14R, .480OBP, 17GP the phenom was brought up to the big club on May 27th and has been on a tear ever since. He hit 3 doubles and 3 home runs in his first seven games, including a walk off shot in the 10th inning against the Braves in his fifth career game, and should be a star in the league for years to come

-Edinson Volquez 9-2, 1.56ERA, 1.17WHIP, 96Ks, 3HR, .184BAA in 81IP he was the key piece in the trade that sent Josh Hamilton to the Rangers and the young righthander hasn't disappointed. The 24-year-old leads the league in ERA and strikeouts and is second in wins and is a true Cy Young contender on a lousy team

PREVIEW:
After playing the Baltimore Orioles, Oakland A's and Seattle Mariners for the better part of the season Boston gets to mix it up and head across league lines to take on the Cincinnati Reds in its first trip to the Queen City since the 1975 World Series.

The older members of the Nation will recall that memorable Fall Classic as one of the best of all time, featuring Fisk's historic homer, Dewey's spectacular catch and throw, and Pete Rose being named MVP in what at the time was a devastating 7 game loss for the locals.

But that was 1975 B.C. - before the championships - so the memories are all good now.

This series, the first between the clubs since 2005 when the Sox swept the Reds in three games at Fenway, should be interesting for many reasons.

1.) The Sox have yet to prove they can win on the road
Sure winning three straight in Baltimore a couple of weeks ago helped inch their road record towards respectability, but still a 14-20 mark away from Fenway for a team that supposed to be one of the best in baseball is not acceptable for the fans or the team; they need a sweep here to restore road credibility.

2.) Phenoms, phenoms everywhere
The Sox stud young starter Justin Masterson will try to keep his perfect record intact in the series opener tonight, while Cincy's Cy Young candidate, the electric Edinson Volquez, will put his 9-2 mark and league leading 96 strikeouts on the line against the best team in the American League tomorrow.

When you add in Jay Bruce and Jacoby Ellsbury, two of the brightest young centerfielders in the game and Reds rookie 1B Joey Votto, who has 11 homers 36 RBI, and what you've got is the makings of a Futures All Star team.

3.) History for and between the teams
These are two of the oldest and proudest franchises in baseball history, both located in terrific metropolitan areas with great fan bases and participated in one of the greatest World Series' in history.

Throw in a spectacular new ballpark that will be jam packed with a sea of Red and the fact that Terry Francona played for the Reds, former Boston folk hero Bronson Arroyo now pitches for the Reds, and the former (Sean Casey) and current (Youk) mayors of Cincy now play for Boston, and what you've got is a lot of MLB and cross-team history on the field this weekend.

The job of starting the series off on a good note falls on the strapping live arm of Masterson.

Making his first start away from Fenway, and obviously his first against an NL club, Justin will need to stay focused and use all of his pitches to remain ahead of the slugging but patient Reds hitters.

The rookie will be opposed by the veteran Aaron Harang. The staff ace of the last few years hasn't pitched all that poorly this season, but like Jeremy Guthrie last night has been victimized by terrible run support.

In his 15 starts this tear Cincy has scored 2 runs or less 8 times for the beefy righty and the offense is averaging a minuscule 2.90 RPG for him, good for 107th in the league for NL starters. Yikes.

So if Masterson continues to do what he has been doing, which is holding opponents to about 1 run per game, and JD Drew and Manny Ramirez continue to hit the cover off the ball, all signs point to a win in the opener and a great way to start off the weekend in Great American Ballpark.

Wonder how many times we'll hear the infamous phrase " and there's a long drive...if it stays, fair...HOME RUN!"

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Series Preview: Orioles @ Sox

Baltimore Orioles (31-31)

AL East: 7 GB (t-3rd)
Streak: L1
Last 10: 5-5

Season Series: Tied 3-3

3 Game series at Fenway Park
Game 1 Tuesday *6:05
Cabrera (5-2, 3.98) vs. Beckett (6-4, 4.07)
Game 2 Wednesday 7:05
Olson (5-1, 3.86) vs. Colon (3-1, 3.91)
Game 3 Thursday *6:05
Guthrie (3-6, 3.40) vs. Lester (4-3, 3.50)
* note early start times due to NBA Finals

PREVIEW:
After a much-needed off day yesterday it's time for the Sox to play ball again. Too bad it's another series against the hard-to-get-excited-about Baltimore Orioles.

For the third time in less than a month Boston will play a series against the O's, a team with no stars, no cachet, and for what seems like the 20th straight season no chance of making the playoffs.

While the Sox will add this three game set to the two-gamer they played on May 13-14 in Baltimore and the four game wraparound series at the beginning of this month, Boston has still yet to play other AL clubs like the Chicago White Sox and have only played the Indians, Angles and Twins once.

In other words, let's mix it up schedule makers; the Nation gets tired of seeing the same teams every other week.

I guess that's what interleague play is for, huh?

Anyway, since they have to play them again they might as well go and sweep the series, which they very nearly did in that memorable four game set a week and a half ago.

In that series Boston took the first three games by a combined score of 20-9 including a 13 inning win in which Baltimore committed 3 errors in the final frame, and Manny Ramirez hit his 500th (and 501st & 502nd) home run before Baltimore saved face with a 6-4 victory in the finale when Hideki Okajima melted down like Three Mile Island.

The series was also memorable because it was the last time we saw David Ortiz in action. Big Papi injured his left wrist in the game on Saturday night, the same night his partner in bashing hit his historic 500th homer. After MRIs and examinations, Ortiz was diagnosed with a torn tendon sheath and placed on the DL with a tentative timetable of a month set for his recovery time.

Since then Boston has been on an unlikely roll, winning five of its last six games despite the loss of Ortiz and for the last three games Jacoby Ellsbury, mainly because guys like Manny and JD Drew have been hotter than Indiana Jones franchise.

Drew has hit safely in his last 8 games, batting .518 (14-27) with 8 extra base hits and 10 RBIs while Manny has a 13-game streak going in which he's hitting .380 (19-50) with 6 homers and an incredible 19 RBI.

Those streaks have not only helped carry the club in Papi's absence but placed the sluggers in the Top 10 of most of the offensive categories in the AL:

Drew: 5th in AVG (.318), 2nd in OBP (.417), 4th in OPS (.926), 9th in runs (41)
Manny: 3rd in HR (14), 4th in RBI (47), 5th in OPS (.938), 5th in SLG% (.552), 3rd in XBH (29), 3rd in TB (127)

Boston will need that production to continue to make up for the loss of Ortiz and to offset the severe slumps of guys like Dustin Pedroia (4-37), Coco Crisp (7-41) and Kevin Youkilis (10-49).

Luckily they get to play the bad news O's at home this time, and with Ellsbury due back tonight and three solid starters on the mound, a sweep is definitely in their grasp before heading to Cincy for the start of interleague play tomorrow.

And thankfully we can say say by bye to B'More for another month.

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Series Preview: Mariners @ Sox

Seattle Mariners (21-39)
AL West: 15.5 GB
Streak: L4
Last 10: 3-7

3 game series @ Fenway Park
Game 1 Friday 7:05
Hernandez (3-5, 3.29) vs. Colon (3-0, 3.50)
Game 2 Saturday 3:55 FOX
Batista (3-6, 5.90) vs. Wakefield (3-4, 4.50)
Game 3 Sunday 1:35
Washburn (2-7, 6.56) vs. Masterson (2-0, 2.95)

PREVIEW:
Had to cut the normal preview post short to bring the updates on the suspensions from the Raysbrawl game last night.

According to the Globe Coco Crisp, or Cock-o as I have now taken to calling him for obvious reasons, rightfully received the harshest penalty with a 7-game suspension. Fellow Sox Jon Lester (5 games) and Sean Casey (3) were the only other members of the Boston team to get suspended, curious because neither player appeared to be active participants in the melee.

The Rays on the other hand were hit pretty hard as starters James Shields (6 games) and Edwin Jackson (5) received the equivalents of one missed start each, while Jonny Gomes (5), Carl Crawford (4) and Aki Iwamura (3) got lighter sentences.

The punishments will be staggered so everyone doesn't sit at once, and Crisp has stated he will appeal his, allowing him to play tonight. Expect him to get maybe one game shaved off, but that's about it.

All in all a pretty costly evening for both clubs.

As for the undercard of the Friday night fisticuffs between Manny Ramirez and Kevin Youkilis, ESPN is reporting that Manny took exception to Youk tossing some equipment around the dugout following an out he made in the bottom of the fourth.

This is unsubstantiated by the ball club but is easy to believe that even his own teammates are tiring of Youk's ultra-sensitive intensity regarding balls, strikes and outs.

There is some good news amidst all this brawl-filled bullshit: Jacoby Ellsbury's wrist injury appears to be minor and he should only miss a game or two.

So we got that going for us.

As for this series Seattle staggers into town having lost four in a row and 12 of its last 15 games, with two of those wins coming against the Sox in Seattle a week and a half ago.

Since taking the final two games of that series and a game against Detroit two nights later the Mariners were swept by the Angels, prompting a post-game expletive-laced tirade by manager John McLaren Wednesday night.

So basically the Ms are the one team that might be more of a mess than the Sox are right now, but with a lot worse record. As in the worst record in baseball worse.

The roster for the game tonight, when Bart Colon goes for win #4 in four starts since being called up, will feature Coco Crisp in center but Manny will not be in left. he tweaked his already tender hammy in the 7th inning last night, leading to a rare pinch running performance by Kevin Cash, so he will sit out tonight.

In his place Brandon Moss, who was called up after the game when Chris Carter was shipped back on the PawSox express, will start in left while Mayor Casey takes over the DH duties.

Moss had been on a tear since coming back from his appendectomy, so his bat will be a welcome addition with Papi and now Manny and Ellsbury missing time.

Anyway it will be nice to get back to talking about baseball instead of fights and bickering.

At least for a day.

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Series Preview: Rays @ Sox

Tampa Bay Rays (35-22)
AL EAST: Up 1 1/2 gms
STREAK: W3
LAST 10: 8-2
BA: .262 (5th in the AL)
RS: 257 (6)
HRs: 54 (5)
ERA: 3.65 (4)
RA: 228 (10)
SV: 17 (t5)

Season Series: 3-3

3 game series at Fenway Park
Game 1 Tuesday 705
Garza (4-1, 3.78) vs. Masterson (1-0, 1.46)
Game 2 Wednesday 705 ESPN
Jackson (3-4, 3.70) vs. Beckett (5-4, 4.30)
Game 3 Thursday 605
Shields (4-3, 3,24) vs. Lester (3-3, 3.67)

KEY RAYS:

-1B Carlos Pena .221/10HR/32RBI although the ex-Sox slugger is having a slow start to the season he has been popping the ball better of late, and you know he'd love nothing more than to get hot against his former/hometown team

-CF BJ Upton .305/3HR/32R/34BI/38BB/17SB the talented older Upton has found a home in center field and is tearing it up this season. He is currently 9th in the AL in average, 3rd in steals, 2nd in walks and 2nd in OBP (.410)

-3B Evan Longoria .241/7HR/28BI/22R/9 2B the rookie has struggled a bit with the bat since the Rays dicked him around and sent him back to the minors after his torrid spring, but he's a slick fielder and good hitter who has a flair for the dramatic -he's already got three game-winning hits this year.

PREVIEW:
This week's sign that the apocalypse is upon us - the Sox and Rays are about to wage a three game battle for first place in the AL East and we're already in the month of June!

You know what's even more fucked up about that statement? It's the upstart Rays that own the top spot, not the defending champs.

Bizarro baseball indeed!

But that's the situation we find ourselves in over 1/3rd of the way into the 2008 season, and it's up to the Sox in these next three games to set the situation straight.

Granted it won't be easy as the Rays are most definitely the hotter club, Boston is without David Ortiz and Daisuke Matsuzaka, and all Tampa Bay has to do is take one of the three games to remain in first place, but...

...that being said you have to like Boston's chances of winning all three games and regaining the lead in the East, if for no other reason than the Sox have been unbeatable at home the last few weeks.

The last time the Sox lost at Fenway was the day prior to the last Rays series, when Boston dropped a 3-0 decision to Toronto in the final matchup of a hard-fought three game set on May 1st.

Since then the road warriors have ripped off 11 in a row at home, when they weren't on grueling 10-game road trips, including three straight against these Rays May 2-4 when they outscored the NKOTB, 26-10.

Anyone for a repeat?

The main reason the Rays are where they are has been their pitching. Not only have the young starters stepped up and played well above their years, but the bullpen, which was an atrocious laughingstock last season (and every other for that matter), has been one of the best in the league.

And the Sox, which had one of the best bullpens in baseball last year, have lost quite a few games this year thanks to the pen men's inability to shut a team down and protect a lead (Monday's Okajima debacle immediately comes to mind).

To wit the Rays bullpen ERA (3.36) is 5th in the AL while the Sox sit at 10th (4.09) out of 14 clubs, and Boston's bully has allowed 27 more runs and 45 fewer hits than Tampa Bay's in just 2 2/3 more innings.

Ouch.

So obviously the key to this series will be keeping the game out of the bullpen's hands, which means the Sox starters will have to pitch deep into the games and the Boston batters will have to grab leads early.

No problem, right?

Not as long as Masterson pitches another gem, Beckett keeps the ball in the yard and pitches like he has been lately, and Colon continues his miraculous comeback and posts win # 4 on Thursday night.

If all that happens and Boston keeps hammering the ball at home then the Sox will regain first place when the series is over, and all will be right with the world.

But if the starters falter, the pen keeps sucking, and the hitters can't compensate for the loss of Ortiz, then it could be a lousy series at Fenway for a change.

What am I saying, they're gonna sweep these fucking pretenders!

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Series Preview: Sox at Baltimore

Baltimore Orioles (26-26)
AL EAST: 5 GB
STREAK: L1
LAST 10: 3-7
BA: .247 (13th in AL)
RS: 218 (11)
HRs: 52 (6)
ERA: 4.13 (8)
RA: 228 (8)
SV: 18 (2)

Season Series: O's lead, 2-0

4 game series at Camden Yards
Game 1 Friday 7:05
Beckett (5-4, 4.43) vs. Cabrera (5-1, 3.70)
Game 2 Saturday 7:05
Lester (3-3, 3.55) vs. Olson (4-1, 4.09)
Game 3 Sunday 1:35
Colon (2-0, 2.25) vs. Burres (4-4, 4.15)
Game 4 Monday 7:05
Wakefield (3-4, 4.70) vs. Guthrie (2-6, 3.64)

Key Orioles:
- OF Nick Markakis .251/9HR/24BI/28R/33BB/.367OBP although the talented young right fielder isn't hitting for average he is leading the team in homers and on base percentage and is third in the AL in walks. Plus he's a very good fielder.

- LF Luke Scott .247/6HR/19RBI/16R/11 2B one of the players acquired in the Miggy Tejada trade, Scott has come on of late, banging 5 of his homers and knocking in 11 runs in May. Plus he's not an egomaniac addicted to PEDs, so I'd say it's worked out for the Birds

- RP George Sherrill 1-1/3.57ERA/17SV/1.19WHIP Mr Wide Brim has been a savior since coming over from Seattle in the Eric Bedard trade, posting the second most saves in the league and providing stability to what was once a shaky pen

PREVIEW:
As the Sox get ready to take on the Orioles this weekend suddenly there are more questions than answers surrounding this once rock solid club.

-Is Daisuke Matsuzaka going to miss one start, many starts or no starts?

-Can the Sox make it to the trading deadline within shouting distance of first place with a bullpen that is leakier than R. Kelly?

-When the hell is Manny gonna hit #500 and get back to his *normal self (*I use that term loosely)

-If the team does make the playoffs, will they be the MLB equivalent of the cross- town Celtics, unbeatable at home but unwatchable on the road?

These are the burning questions currently racing through the minds of everyone in the Nation as Boston opens its four game set against the fourth place Orioles in a wraparound series at Camden Yards tonight.

Don't expect me to provide the answers as I'm just as perplexed about this team than anyone else. I mean how does a club that is one of the best offensive teams in the majors fail so miserably on the road like this one has?

Entering tonight's game Boston is a stunning 21-5 at Fenway and a staggering 11-19 away from home, a disparity unmatched by any other team in the league. The Cubs would be the closest to this type of differential, with a 23-8 home mark and 11-13 road record, but that doesn't come close to Boston's bipolar home/road swing.

With the word on Dice-Ks shoulder yet to come from the front office, Boston will need last year's ace, Josh Beckett, to start performing like the near Cy Young winner he was last year.

At this time a year ago Beckett, not Matsuzaka, was the one with a perfect record, positing an identical 8-0 mark through May 29th en route to a 20 win season. This year, after being derailed by a back problem early on, Beckett has struggled with his command at times, although he has shown signs of coming around in his last two starts.

With the starting staff in flux the bullpen has been counted on more than ever, yet the group that was one of the best in the league last year has been a major disappointment this season. Three pen men have ERAs over 5.00 (Delcarmen, Hansen & Timlin), three have already been released by the team (Corey, Tavarez and Snyder), and the decent three (Okajima, Aardsma and Papelbon) have all had their struggles as well.

Look no one is asking these guys to be perfect, especially as much as they've been asked to pitch, but it seems like every time Tito has to go to the pen now you just roll your eyes, cross your fingers and pray that the guys he calls on can make it through the game unscathed.

Not exactly a heartwarming feeling for a potential championship club.

Basically Boston needs to take three of four this weekend, both to save its spot in the standings (currently 1 game behind the Rays and four in front of Baltimore) and to salvage a little respectability on the road before the inability to win away from Fenway turns into an albatross of Celtic proportions.

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Series preview: Sox @ Oakland

Oakland A's (25-23)
Sox lead series, 3-1

AL WEST: 2.5GB
STREAK: W1
LAST 10: 3-7
AVG: .250 (10th in AL)
RS: 411 (6th)
HRs: 32 (11)
ERA: 3.37 (1)
RA: 178 (12)
SV: 11 (10)

3 Game series @ Network Assoc. Coliseum
Game 1 Friday 10:05
Wakefield (3-2, 4.33; 9-5, 4.03 vs. OAK) vs. Harden (2-0, 2.91; 1-1, 7.71 vs. BOS)
Game 2 Saturday 9:05
Beckett (5-3, 4.67; 2-2, 5.55) vs. Duchscherer (3-3, 2.67; 1-0, 2.66)
Game 3 Sunday 4:05
Lester (3-2, 3.41; 1-1, 4.05) vs. Blanton (2-6, 3.87; 2-2, 3.65)

KEY A's:

- LF Jack Cust .254/7HR/17BI/37BB/44K/.426OBP The all or nothing swinger might not have many hits this season (33), but he leads the As in homers and he's 1st in the AL in walks and 2nd in on base percentage

- RF Emil Brown .260/5HR/35BI/8 2B/26R surprising that on a team with mashers like Cust and Frank Thomas the unassuming Brown would be leading the A's in ribbies; more surprising, his total is good for 5th in the league

-Frank Thomas .282/3HR/14BI/.394OBP since the teams last met Thomas has switched from the Jays to the A's. Not a good thing for Boston, because he clubbed 2 homers, a double and had 8 RBIs against the Sox for Toronto earlier this season

Ex-Sox:

-Keith Foulke 0-0, 1SV, 4H, 3.18ERA in 11.1IP the burger king is still kicking around the league, and after a stint on the DL he has actually pitched pretty effectively (2H, 0R in 3.1IP) in his last 3 appearances

-Lenny DiNardo 1-1, 10.57ERA, 2.61WHIP the affable, dependable member of the 04 championship team was just recalled from the minors Wednesday, and with his bloated numbers you can see why he was sent down

-Alan Embree 1-2, 4.22ERA, 8H, 1.07WHIP Timlin's former running mate must have a bet with him on who can last longer in the league before their arm falls off

PREVIEW:
It's deja vu all over again as the Sox return to the park where they played thier first game of the season on American soil to play the opponenet they opened the year with over in Japan.

Only instead of dealing with jet lag and language barriers the boys from Boston are toting a seven game winning streak into the Mauseleum for their second meeting of the season with the slumping As.

When the teams last met Boston split the first two games of the openeing set in Japan, then after flying to Cali and playing a pair of exhibition games against the Dodgers, the Sox won the final two American games of the series by a combined score of 7-1.

As they meet again tonight Boston is officially the best team in baseball, sporting a .620 winning percentage to go along with its longest winning streak since June/July of 2006, while the A's, after a surprising start to the season have started to fall back to Earth, losing 7 of their last 9 games before bludgeoning the Rays 9-1 on Wednesday.

As we in the Nation know Boston has a long and storied relationship with Oakland. From the playoff series of the late 80, when Dave Stew always got the best of Roidger, to last season's near no-no by Curt Schilling and this season's goodwill trip to the Far East, these clubs are no strangers to playing series against each other both meaningful and meaningless.

That's why the Sox can't afford to think they will come out to this place and take these three games, despite the fact that their offesne is rolling and Oakland is stumbling.

One reason being that Oakland's strength is its pitching, as evidenced by its league-leading ERA.

Led by the surprsing Dana Eveland, whose 2.90 ERA is 7th in the league, and a slew of quality relievers, the amazing thing about this staff is that no regualr has an ERA over 4.50. In this day and age that is a truly amazing stat.

In the opener of this series Boston will face the oft-injured, enigmatic young righty Rich Harden. Although he did pick up Oakland's only win of the season-opening series when he allowed 3 hits and a run in 6 innings of work, he immediatley went on the DL shortly thereafter and spent a month there before returning two weeks ago.

Since his return Harden has had one horrible outing (8H, 5ER in 3.2IP) and one decent one, allowing just 4 hits and a run in 7 innings in a win against Atlanta last weekend.

If Oakland hopes to have any chance of winning this series, it needs Harden to pitch like that tonight.

Boston will counter with Tim Wakefield in the opener, and as usual with the knuckleballer, you never know what you're gonna get.

In his last 2 starts Wake has been awful, surrendering 13 hits and 9 earned runs in 8 innings of work, so you would have to say the pitching advantage definitely rests with Oakland tonight.

No matter how it goes it should be an interesting series out there. Plenty of old faces on the field, plenty of Red Sox Nation memberes representing in the stands, and hopefully a continuaation of the Sox winning ways will be on the menu for these late night affairs.

If not it could be a long trip for a team that's a lot happier tasting home cooking.

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Series Preview: Royals at Red Sox

Kansas City Royals (21-22)

AL CENTRAL: 2 GB
STREAK: W1
LAST 10: 6-4
BA: .264 (5th in AL)
RS: 165 (14)
HRS: 23 (14)
ERA: 4.27 (9)
RA: 185 (8)
SV: 12 (6)

4 game series at Fenway Park
Game 1 Monday 705
Hochevar (3-2, 3.94) vs. Lester (2-2, 3.95)
Game 2 Tuesday 705
Meche (3-5, 5.98) vs. Masterson (0-0, 1.50)
Game 3 Wednesday 705
Tomko (2-4, 5.32) vs. Colon (NR)
Game 4 Thursday 135
Bannister (4-5, 4.29) vs. Matsuzaka (7-0)

Key Royals:

-2B Mark Grudzielanek .331/20R/10 2B/.387 OBP The man known as the human eye chart has people opening their eyes to the fact that the scrappy second sacker is leading the AL in batting. He's also 8th in OBP and has been the sparkplug for the resurgent Royals offense

-OF Jose Guillen .245/18R/16 2B/5HR/30BI The mercurial outfielder is leading the league in doubles and is 7th in RBI and has been on a tear of late, batting .500 (19-38) with 8 doubles, 2 homers and 15 ribbies during a current 10 game hitting streak

-3B Alex Gordon .286/24R/10 2B/5HR/20RBI The former phenom has started to settle into his role as the next George Brett, not putting too much pressure on himself now that his sure fire rookie of the year season is over. He didn't win it, by the way, as Sox fans well know.

-RP Joakim Soria 11SV/1.04 ERA/0.40WHIP/2BB/20K The flame throwing closer just inked a multi-year deal that could keep the lanky righty in Royals blue for the next 6 seasons. Good move, KC, cause this kid's stuff is filthy, electric, nasty and every other outdated adjective for flat out awesome you can think of.

PREVIEW:
Coming on the heels of the Sox sweep of the Brewers Boston will have to face a team that has become a recent nemesis to them, the pesky Kansas City Royals.

Boston has dropped 8 of its last 12 contests with KC and that includes a disastrous 4game set last July at Fenway when the Sox shutout the royals 4-0 in the opener and then dropped the next three by a combined score of 19-10.

That kind of humiliation alone should be enough motivation for the team to come out strong in this series, as if hanging on to first place isn't enough of a motivator, but something tells me it won't be easy to win a series against what has been the most surprising team of the AL Central this year.

Kansas City comes to town having won 6 of its last 7 games including a sweep of the lowly Tigers that helped vault the club into a tie for third place in the division, just two games back of the surging Chisox, and they'd love nothing more than to add another series win against the Sox to their resume to help boost credibility with their long suffering fans and within their own clubhouse.

A major part of the Royals resurgence has been the solid play of Mark Grudzielanek, who leads the league in hitting, and the recent hot streak of Jose Guillen, who was just named the AL player of the week for last week.

Combine those factors with the reality that Boston will start a pair of unproven commodities in games 2 & 3, rookie Justin Masterson and rehabbing Bartolo Colon, and any outcome would not be surprising in this series.

Best case scenario is the Sox pitchers out-pitch the shaky Royals starters, because if the starters should falter the middle relief situation, with Hideki Okajima nursing a slight wrist injury and Delcarmen and Hansen nursing bruised egos, things could get dicey.

And hopefully Boston will have a lead late because 9th inning comebacks are not the norm against fantastic KC closer Joakim Soria.

Basically the Nation won't settle for anything less than winning 3 out of 4 and knocking these giant killers down a few pegs, just to make sure they know who the big boys in the AL really are.

Good luck with .500, KC. The Bosox have bigger plans.

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Series Preview: Brewers at Bosox

Milwaukee Brewers (20-21)

NL Central: 5 GB
Streak: L2
Last 10: 4-6
BA: .241 (14th in NL)
RS: 177 (12)
HR: 39 (8)
ERA: 4.54 (12)
RA: 198 (6)

3 game Interleague Series at Fenway Park
Game 1 Friday 705
Suppan (2-2, 4.63; 3-3, 4.78 vs. BOS) vs. Matsuzaka (6-0, 2.45; NR vs. MIL)
Game 2 Saturday 355 FOX
Bush (1-4, 6.06; 0-3, 9.00 vs. BOS) vs. Wakefield (3-2, 4.25; 5-2, 3.19 vs. MIL)
Game 3 Sunday 135 TBS
Villanueva (2-4, 6.00; NR vs. BOS) vs. Beckett (4-3, 4.21; 0-2, 9.53 vs. MIL)

Key Brewers:

-LF Ryan Braun .286/21R/10HR/30BI/.316OBP Last year's Rookie of the Year has proved to be no fluke by picking up right where he left off, and he just inked a monster contract (8yr/45mil) to validate his efforts

-1B Prince Fielder .255/5HR/23BI/.362OBP/.411SLG% The big bopper (literally) decided to turn vegan in the off season, and sausage-loving Brewer's fans are livid, noting the subsequent lack of meat in his diet has left his game mighty thin

-C Jason Kendall .283/16R/10 2B/12BI/.366OBP Who could imagine that a catcher whose foot was dislodged from his ankle a few years ago would be leading a team in on base percentage?

- RF Corey Hart .302/17R/9 2B19BI/.356OBP This is the Corey Hart who plays right field for the Brewers, not the one who sang "(I wear my) Sunglasses at Night", right?

Ex-Sox:

-RP Eric Gagne 1-2, 6.27, 1.88WHIP, 10SV, 5BS Worst GM of the Year award has to go to Doug Melvin for signing this washed-up mental case to a $10 million dollar deal in the off season. Amazing.

-RP David Riske 0-1, 4.71, 6H, 1SV Appeared in 8 games for the Sox in '06 before they traded him to the Chisox for Javier Lopez

-SP Jeff Suppan he appeared in 27 games for Boston from 1995-97 and 2003, compiling a 12-10 record with a 5.87ERA. Most known in the Nation for being traded for Freddy Sanchez at the trading deadline in 2003. You know Freddy Sanchez, the phenom who plays shortstop for the Pirates?

-CF Gabe Kapler .284/13R/4HR/13RBI/.522SLG% I'm sure the Faithful will be happy to welcome back Kapler in his first return to Fenway since retiring after the 2006 season, before deciding to come back to manage and ultimately play again

PREVIEW:
It's the beginning of Interleague play 2008; can I get a "hip hip, hooray!" from everyone.

(crickets chirping)

You all know about interleague play by now, the novelty invented by MLB to bring different teams and unseen superstars to ballparks in the opposite leagues.

Instead what we get are uninspired mismatches like this one, where a team that no once outside of Racine follows comes to the Hub of the sports universe touting a team full of uninteresting, underachieving players who are embroiled in a division playoff race from a league nobody cares about.

Nearly brings a tear to my eye.

Although I have to admit it is nice every once in a while to get away from the same AL foes and drub a club from "the senior circuit", just for a change of pace.

But I'll have to say as far as must-see series at Fenway go, this one is a definite 'give away your season tickets to the buddy who's been buggin you for months' weekend.

As we all know, Boston comes into this series on a down note, losers of four straight games and six of its last eight contests. JD Drew is ailing (again); Clay Buchholz is disabled (whew); and the offense, and the pitching staff cannot seem to hold a lead no matter how many runs the offense scores.

To top it all off, there's rain in the forecast tonight so the first game of the series has a good chance of being delayed.

But there is a silver lining for Boston. Bartolo Colon had another impressive performance in the minors yesterday and will most likely make his Red Sox debut next week.

Wait, guys, come back...

Fact of the matter is Boston had better either sweep or at the least take 2-of-3 from the disappointing Brewers, who will be making the first trip to Fenway since joining the NL in 1998.

The pitching matchups are certainly in Boston's favor, with the Sox top three throwing in the series while Milwaukee ace Ben Sheets will miss the set, and lord knows how awesome it will be when and if Eric Gagme takes the Fenway mound for the first time since last year.

So with an off day under their belts, home cooking in their tummies and a scrub team invading their turf, this had better be a productive series for the second place Sox.

I mean how much longer can we stand hearing "trailing the first place Devil Rays" before the madness kicks in?

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Series Preview: Sox at Minnesota

Red Sox (23-14, 1st in AL East) at
Minnesota Twins (17-16, 1st in AL Central)
4 game series @ the Metrodome

Game 1 Friday 810
Lester (2-2, 3.94) vs. Bonser (2-4, 4.29)
Game 2 Saturday 710
Matsuzaka (5-0, 2.43) vs. Perkins (NR)
Game 3 Sunday 800 ESPN
Wakefield (3-1, 3.33) vs. Blackburn (2-2, 3.65)
Game 4 Monday 705 ESPN
Buchholz (2-2, 4.50) vs. Hernandez (5-1, 3.83)

What to watch for: can the Twins keep it up?
Nobody, and I 'mean not even native Minnesotans, thought the Twinks would contend this season. Not after they traded the foundation of the pitching staff, Johan Santana, especially with the young phenom who could've replaced him, Francisco Liriano, recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Yet here they are 1/5th of the way into the season and sitting atop the AL Central. Sure their record is barely above .500, but given the other alternatives I think people are pretty happy in the Twin Cities.

Who to watch for: CF Carlos Gomez .279/19R/7 2B/11RBI /13SB/.302OBP
The speedy centerfielder was one of the key pieces in the Santana trade, and he is starting to pay dividends already. The 22-year-old became the first Twin to hit for the cycle since Kirby Puckett in 1986 when he accomplished the rare feat Wednesday night against the Chisox.

Sure he has 31 strikeouts and just 3 walks, and he has a paltry .302 OBP, horrid numbers for the leadoff man. But he's in the midst of a 14-40 (.350)streak, and his hustle and enthusiasm have provided a spark for the notoriously stodgy club.

PREVIEW:
Thanks again, schedule makers.

Boston just played a four game series at Detroit with no off day between that one and the next one in Minny, and it has to play another 4-gamer with no off day before it heads to Baltimore for that series, which starts Tuesday.

Not only are there no off days in between, but they don't even get the customary afternoon game on getaway day to give them more time to get to the next city.

So the Sox might be a little tired this evening when they take on the Twins in the first game of the series, but they way they've been playing this past week, it might not matter.

Boston has won 8 of its last 10 games since dropping five straight at the end of April, and to say the offense is finally clicking on all cylinders would be putting it mildly.

Since that scoring drought that saw the team average a meager 1.3 runs per game over a six game stretch, the Boston bats have come alive, averaging almost 7 1/2 RPG in the seven games since.

And the best thing about it is almost everyone has been a contributor in some way or another, whether it be big home runs (Youk, Lowell), high average (Big Papi), clutch base hits (Pedroia) or just plain getting on, getting over and getting in (Ellsbury).

The best news of the latest surge, though, has been the resurgence of Ortiz. Since taking an 0-6 and subsequently sitting out two games with a sore knee sustained belly-flopping into first base in St. Pete, Papi has been on an absolute tear. He has 15 hits in his last 35 at bats (.429), raising his average 55 points, and he has been driving in runs like the Big Papi of old (8 in his last 8 games).

The other encouraging part about this streak is that the pitching has performed nearly as well as the hitting, save for that 10-run clunker Wednesday night in Motown.

Not counting that debacle, Boston has allowed just 20 runs in the last 11 games, or a little over 2 runs per game, and that combined with the awesome offense has added up to Boston owning the 2nd best record in the majors and being tied for the largest division lead as well.

Minnesota will present some problems for Boston, not the least of which is playing in that godawful Dome, but the Twins pitchers should not be one of them. Gone is the rotation of Santana, Liriano and Radke, replaced by guys like Boof Bonser, Nick Blackburn and unknown rookie Glenn Perkins.

The one Twin who is pitching well is the ageless Livian Hernandez. Picked up in the offseason, the former Marlin, Giant, Expo, National and Diamondback hurler has a stellar 5-1 record and a sweet sub-4.00 ERA, but he has surrendered 8 home runs, second most in the American League.

If the Sox can take care of business against those lesser-known hurlers, maybe Big Papi will make his return to Minnesota memorable with a big bomb off Hernandez in the series finale, and perhaps the Sox can take 3 of 4 again before they head to Baltimore to close out this brutal 10 game, no off-day roadie.

No thanks to the schedule makers.

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