Yankees meet Red Sox in Round 1 between AL East heavyweights
Yankees meet Red Sox in Round 1 between AL East heavyweights
The season’s third weekend of action is chock-full of big name pitchers and crucial early series, none bigger than the New York Yankees heading to Boston to meet the Red Sox.
I know it’s been a while since either was part of a Red Sox, Yankees series, but this weekend’s matchup in Boston just isn’t the same with Don Zimmer and Pedro Martinez part of the mix. And lord knows the Fenway faithful are going to feel slighted with Alex Rodriguez not part of the New York lineup.
Still, while those guys will be missing from the affair, it still ranks as the top bill this weekend that has several big series and starts with several of the game’s top moundsmen taking the hill on Friday night.
Fenway will see two of the young arms that open the season struggling go at it Friday night when Joba Chamberlain (1-1, 5.06) takes the mound for New York against Boston’s Jon Lester (1-2, 5.50). The Yankees (9-6, -0.15 ) will follow Joba with A.J. Burnett (3-0, 3.20) on Saturday and Andy Pettitte (3-0, 2.53) in the ESPN Sunday Night telecast.
The Sox (9-6, +0.45) counter on Saturday with Josh Beckett (2-1. 3.79) and give the ball for a second time this week to young Justin Masterson (1-0, 3.18) Sunday. The Friday line opened with Boston drawing the -118 chalk to New York's +108 at 5Dimes and was generally holding around -120 on the Red Sox at most shops.
The weather looks great for Beantown over the weekend with Friday night temps around the low-60s, maybe upper 50s at game time with current winds SSW at 5-10 (out to right-center). Saturday is supposed to reach the low-80s according to the Weather Channel right now, and with the Yankees in town plus warm weather, that’s bound to be good for beer sales at Fenway.
And Sunday should be about the same, mostly sunny and temps in the 70s for the evening’s first pitch.
Saturday night there is going to be a new batboy around the Boston cage during batting practice as the Red Sox honor a former batboy before the game. Arthur Giddon was 13 the last time he served in this capacity for the Sox, and he turns 100 on Sunday. There's a pretty good story about it HERE.
Atlanta (7-8, -3.10) at Cincinnati (9-6, +3.10)
Not sure why, but I my gut tells me this series is going to be a good one and maybe something really weird happens. It’s going to be in a hitter’s park, so no lead will be safe. We have two teams that entered the season on paper at about equal terms as both Atlanta and Cincinnati were picked to finish in the middle of their divisions, and we have some interesting pitching matchups to boot.
Javier Vazquez (1-2, 3.00) toes the rubber for the Braves to open the series Friday against the Reds’ Edinson Volquez (2-1, 6.46). Saturday finds Derek Lowe (2-2, 3.27) making his fifth start of the young season against Bronson Arroyo (3-0, 4.19) with Kenshin Kawakami (1-2, 4.76) and Micah Owings (0-2, 5.59) wrapping it up for Atlanta and Cincy respectively on Sunday.
The Braves’ bullpen, aside from Rafael Soriano and Jeff Bennett, has been iffy and Brian McCann’s availability should be checked as he is going through some weird “blurred vision” thing. Volquez and Owings have not pitched that well this season but their bullpen trio of Arthur Rhodes, David Weathers and Francisco Cordero has been superb. Yes, that Arthur Rhodes and that David Weathers. Yes, they’re both still alive.
Porkopolis weather reports are calling for Friday night to see a mid-, possibly upper-70s temperature for game time with winds SSW 12-18 (blowing in from RF corner). Shouldn’t be much of a chance for rain for the series with the night start Friday and pair of 1:10 p.m. (ET) starts Saturday and Sunday. But there is still supposed to be wind on Saturday and 85° called for both days.
Friday Night Lights
San Francisco (6-8, -2.50) at Arizona (6-9, -4.95): There are several other games with pitching matchups Friday night that intrigue me. Everyone should be interested anytime San Francisco’s Tim Lincecum (1-2, 3.86) takes the mound as he will in Arizona against the Diamondbacks’ Doug Davis (1-2, 2.57). The Giants youngster is coming off eight shutout innings against the Snakes at home last Saturday. In Lincecum’s four starts against Arizona in 2008, the Giants were 2-2 overall (1-1 at the former BOB in Phoenix), with a 2.63 ERA in 30.2 IP.
Philadelphia (6-8, -3.75) at Florida (11-4, +6.95): The Brett Myers (1-2, 5.03), Josh Johnson (3-0, 2.91) matchup in Florida is also interesting since this could be a good time for the Phillies to rise up and let us know if they’re really going to compete in the AL East this year or just wallow in their 2008 title? Philadelphia has been horrible on the mound with a staff ERA around 6.30 after Thursday’s 6-1 loss to the Brewers.
Meanwhile the Marlins got off to that amazing 11-1 start only to be cooled off in a road sweep at the hands of the Pirates in Pittsburgh this week. Johnson has been money, however, and Florida has a 5-1 record at home to open the campaign.
Tampa Bay (6-10, -4.45) at Oakland (5-9, -3.80): And finally the Rays and A’s in Oakland begin their three-game set on Friday with Scott Kazmir (2-1, 5.40) going for Tampa Bay and Trevor Cahill (1-2, 2.60) for Oakland. The southpaw Kazmir is coming off a rough go at the White Sox last Saturday allowing six earned and walking six in five innings. The 21-year old Cahill has gotten away with some wildness but has also been the victim of poor run support by an Oakland offense that ranks last in the AL in scoring despite the extra bats they took on in the winter.
The season’s third weekend of action is chock-full of big name pitchers and crucial early series, none bigger than the New York Yankees heading to Boston to meet the Red Sox.
I know it’s been a while since either was part of a Red Sox, Yankees series, but this weekend’s matchup in Boston just isn’t the same with Don Zimmer and Pedro Martinez part of the mix. And lord knows the Fenway faithful are going to feel slighted with Alex Rodriguez not part of the New York lineup.
Still, while those guys will be missing from the affair, it still ranks as the top bill this weekend that has several big series and starts with several of the game’s top moundsmen taking the hill on Friday night.
Fenway will see two of the young arms that open the season struggling go at it Friday night when Joba Chamberlain (1-1, 5.06) takes the mound for New York against Boston’s Jon Lester (1-2, 5.50). The Yankees (9-6, -0.15 ) will follow Joba with A.J. Burnett (3-0, 3.20) on Saturday and Andy Pettitte (3-0, 2.53) in the ESPN Sunday Night telecast.
The Sox (9-6, +0.45) counter on Saturday with Josh Beckett (2-1. 3.79) and give the ball for a second time this week to young Justin Masterson (1-0, 3.18) Sunday. The Friday line opened with Boston drawing the -118 chalk to New York's +108 at 5Dimes and was generally holding around -120 on the Red Sox at most shops.
The weather looks great for Beantown over the weekend with Friday night temps around the low-60s, maybe upper 50s at game time with current winds SSW at 5-10 (out to right-center). Saturday is supposed to reach the low-80s according to the Weather Channel right now, and with the Yankees in town plus warm weather, that’s bound to be good for beer sales at Fenway.
And Sunday should be about the same, mostly sunny and temps in the 70s for the evening’s first pitch.
Saturday night there is going to be a new batboy around the Boston cage during batting practice as the Red Sox honor a former batboy before the game. Arthur Giddon was 13 the last time he served in this capacity for the Sox, and he turns 100 on Sunday. There's a pretty good story about it HERE.
Atlanta (7-8, -3.10) at Cincinnati (9-6, +3.10)
Not sure why, but I my gut tells me this series is going to be a good one and maybe something really weird happens. It’s going to be in a hitter’s park, so no lead will be safe. We have two teams that entered the season on paper at about equal terms as both Atlanta and Cincinnati were picked to finish in the middle of their divisions, and we have some interesting pitching matchups to boot.
Javier Vazquez (1-2, 3.00) toes the rubber for the Braves to open the series Friday against the Reds’ Edinson Volquez (2-1, 6.46). Saturday finds Derek Lowe (2-2, 3.27) making his fifth start of the young season against Bronson Arroyo (3-0, 4.19) with Kenshin Kawakami (1-2, 4.76) and Micah Owings (0-2, 5.59) wrapping it up for Atlanta and Cincy respectively on Sunday.
The Braves’ bullpen, aside from Rafael Soriano and Jeff Bennett, has been iffy and Brian McCann’s availability should be checked as he is going through some weird “blurred vision” thing. Volquez and Owings have not pitched that well this season but their bullpen trio of Arthur Rhodes, David Weathers and Francisco Cordero has been superb. Yes, that Arthur Rhodes and that David Weathers. Yes, they’re both still alive.
Porkopolis weather reports are calling for Friday night to see a mid-, possibly upper-70s temperature for game time with winds SSW 12-18 (blowing in from RF corner). Shouldn’t be much of a chance for rain for the series with the night start Friday and pair of 1:10 p.m. (ET) starts Saturday and Sunday. But there is still supposed to be wind on Saturday and 85° called for both days.
Friday Night Lights
San Francisco (6-8, -2.50) at Arizona (6-9, -4.95): There are several other games with pitching matchups Friday night that intrigue me. Everyone should be interested anytime San Francisco’s Tim Lincecum (1-2, 3.86) takes the mound as he will in Arizona against the Diamondbacks’ Doug Davis (1-2, 2.57). The Giants youngster is coming off eight shutout innings against the Snakes at home last Saturday. In Lincecum’s four starts against Arizona in 2008, the Giants were 2-2 overall (1-1 at the former BOB in Phoenix), with a 2.63 ERA in 30.2 IP.
Philadelphia (6-8, -3.75) at Florida (11-4, +6.95): The Brett Myers (1-2, 5.03), Josh Johnson (3-0, 2.91) matchup in Florida is also interesting since this could be a good time for the Phillies to rise up and let us know if they’re really going to compete in the AL East this year or just wallow in their 2008 title? Philadelphia has been horrible on the mound with a staff ERA around 6.30 after Thursday’s 6-1 loss to the Brewers.
Meanwhile the Marlins got off to that amazing 11-1 start only to be cooled off in a road sweep at the hands of the Pirates in Pittsburgh this week. Johnson has been money, however, and Florida has a 5-1 record at home to open the campaign.
Tampa Bay (6-10, -4.45) at Oakland (5-9, -3.80): And finally the Rays and A’s in Oakland begin their three-game set on Friday with Scott Kazmir (2-1, 5.40) going for Tampa Bay and Trevor Cahill (1-2, 2.60) for Oakland. The southpaw Kazmir is coming off a rough go at the White Sox last Saturday allowing six earned and walking six in five innings. The 21-year old Cahill has gotten away with some wildness but has also been the victim of poor run support by an Oakland offense that ranks last in the AL in scoring despite the extra bats they took on in the winter.
