Ted's Army: The Voice of Red Sox fans

How we see it goin' down: Indians - Red Sox series

First Pitch: Thursday 7:10, Friday 7:10, Saturday 1:35, Sunday 1:35

Arms: Thursday: Zach McAllister, RHP (3-3, 2.65 ERA) vs. Ryan Dempster, RHP (2-4, 4.27 ERA)

Friday: Justin Masterson, RHP (7-2, 2.83 ERA) vs. John Lackey, RHP (2-4, 3.31 ERA)  

Saturday: Scott Kazmir, LHP (2-2, 6.35 ERA) vs. Jon Lester, LHP (6-1, 3.15 ERA)

Sunday: Corey Kluber, RHP (3-3, 5.19 ERA) vs. Felix Doubront, LHP (3-2, 5.61 ERA)

                                  Yard: Fenway Park   Watch it: NESN   Hear it:  WEEI

The Matchup

Record: 26-19 (1st AL Central)	Record: 28-19 (2nd AL East)
On road: 11-9	At home: 13-10
Streak: L2	Streak: W1
Leaders at the plate	Leaders at the plate
Average: Gomes (.316)	Average: Ortiz (.351)
Homers: Reynolds (12)	Homers: Middlebrooks (8)
RBI: Reynolds (37)	RBI: Napoli (35)
Leaders on the mound	Leaders on the mound
Wins: Masterson (7)	Wins: Buchholz (7)
ERA: McAllister (2.65) | Smith (1.13)	ERA: Buchholz (1.73) | Breslow (1.17)
K's: Masterson (71)	K's: Buchholz (73)

Last time

The Sox bitch-slapped the Indians in Cleveland a little over a month ago. The Sox swept Cleveland with ease. 

Ubaldo Jimenez only lasted 1 2/3, surrendering 7 runs on only 2 hits! Yeah, 2 hits. Most of the damage was associated with the 5 walks he gave up. Napoli had the big bat in that game, with a pair of doubles and 3 ribbies.

The Sox got a rare positive offensive performance against Justin Masterson, tagging him for 4 runs on 11 hits. Mike Napoli came up big again with a double and 2 RBI. Daniel Nava also came up with a pair of RBI in the second game.

Guess which two players came up big in game 3. Yup, you guessed it...I assumed you guessed it and didn't read on to see the names. Mike Napoli and Daniel Nava. Napoli dug out a triple while knocking in a run in another multi-hit game, and Nava drove in another pair of runs. Please, repeat this performance.

 

This time

Laser Show: David Ortiz

David Ortiz is batting .440 (11/25), with 3 homers, and 9 RBI over the last two series. Throw in a steal of 3rd last night and we have ourselves an MVP candidate. Well, not yet, but David is stealing the show in 2013. Ortiz is creeping up on Will Middlebrooks for the team lead in home runs and Napoli for the lead in RBI. F-U Shaughnessy.

Pitch Around: Mark Reynolds

Red Sox pitching did a good job containing him in the last series. Since then, he has picked up the power game considerably. Reynolds is tied for 5th in the majors in homers with 12, and 6th in RBI with 37. Avoid pitching him meatballs.

Don't Fall Behind: Justin Freakin' Masterson

The Red Sox have started figuring him out, especially in their last meeting. Recently, Justin has been on fire, going 3-0, with a 1.17 ERA, and 27 K's in his last 3 starts. Game 2 might get away from the Sox. He will always haunt the Sox, with a few bad outings thrown in from time to time.

How we see it goin' down

Cleveland has turned that tough start around and are atop the AL Central. They have played well over the last month, and have gotten some quality starts from the rotation. Terry Francona's return to Fenway is going to be interesting and hard fought. This has series split written all over it and it will be fun to watch.

First Pitch: Thursday 7:10, Friday 7:10, Saturday 1:35, Sunday 1:35

Arms: Thursday: Zach McAllister, RHP (3-3, 2.65 ERA) vs. Ryan Dempster, RHP (2-4, 4.27 ERA)

Friday: Justin Masterson, RHP (7-2, 2.83 ERA) vs. John Lackey, RHP (2-4, 3.31 ERA)  

Saturday: Scott Kazmir, LHP (2-2, 6.35 ERA) vs. Jon Lester, LHP (6-1, 3.15 ERA)

Sunday: Corey Kluber, RHP (3-3, 5.19 ERA) vs. Felix Doubront, LHP (3-2, 5.61 ERA)

                                  Yard: Fenway Park   Watch it: NESN   Hear it:  WEEI

The Matchup

Record: 26-19 (1st AL Central)	Record: 28-19 (2nd AL East)
On road: 11-9	At home: 13-10
Streak: L2	Streak: W1
Leaders at the plate	Leaders at the plate
Average: Gomes (.316)	Average: Ortiz (.351)
Homers: Reynolds (12)	Homers: Middlebrooks (8)
RBI: Reynolds (37)	RBI: Napoli (35)
Leaders on the mound	Leaders on the mound
Wins: Masterson (7)	Wins: Buchholz (7)
ERA: McAllister (2.65) | Smith (1.13)	ERA: Buchholz (1.73) | Breslow (1.17)
K's: Masterson (71)	K's: Buchholz (73)

Last time

The Sox bitch-slapped the Indians in Cleveland a little over a month ago. The Sox swept Cleveland with ease. 

Ubaldo Jimenez only lasted 1 2/3, surrendering 7 runs on only 2 hits! Yeah, 2 hits. Most of the damage was associated with the 5 walks he gave up. Napoli had the big bat in that game, with a pair of doubles and 3 ribbies.

The Sox got a rare positive offensive performance against Justin Masterson, tagging him for 4 runs on 11 hits. Mike Napoli came up big again with a double and 2 RBI. Daniel Nava also came up with a pair of RBI in the second game.

Guess which two players came up big in game 3. Yup, you guessed it...I assumed you guessed it and didn't read on to see the names. Mike Napoli and Daniel Nava. Napoli dug out a triple while knocking in a run in another multi-hit game, and Nava drove in another pair of runs. Please, repeat this performance.

 

This time

Laser Show: David Ortiz

David Ortiz is batting .440 (11/25), with 3 homers, and 9 RBI over the last two series. Throw in a steal of 3rd last night and we have ourselves an MVP candidate. Well, not yet, but David is stealing the show in 2013. Ortiz is creeping up on Will Middlebrooks for the team lead in home runs and Napoli for the lead in RBI. F-U Shaughnessy.

Pitch Around: Mark Reynolds

Red Sox pitching did a good job containing him in the last series. Since then, he has picked up the power game considerably. Reynolds is tied for 5th in the majors in homers with 12, and 6th in RBI with 37. Avoid pitching him meatballs.

Don't Fall Behind: Justin Freakin' Masterson

The Red Sox have started figuring him out, especially in their last meeting. Recently, Justin has been on fire, going 3-0, with a 1.17 ERA, and 27 K's in his last 3 starts. Game 2 might get away from the Sox. He will always haunt the Sox, with a few bad outings thrown in from time to time.

How we see it goin' down

Cleveland has turned that tough start around and are atop the AL Central. They have played well over the last month, and have gotten some quality starts from the rotation. Terry Francona's return to Fenway is going to be interesting and hard fought. This has series split written all over it and it will be fun to watch.

First Pitch: Thursday 7:10, Friday 7:10, Saturday 1:35, Sunday 1:35

Arms: Thursday: Zach McAllister, RHP (3-3, 2.65 ERA) vs. Ryan Dempster, RHP (2-4, 4.27 ERA)

Friday: Justin Masterson, RHP (7-2, 2.83 ERA) vs. John Lackey, RHP (2-4, 3.31 ERA)  

Saturday: Scott Kazmir, LHP (2-2, 6.35 ERA) vs. Jon Lester, LHP (6-1, 3.15 ERA)

Sunday: Corey Kluber, RHP (3-3, 5.19 ERA) vs. Felix Doubront, LHP (3-2, 5.61 ERA)

                                  Yard: Fenway Park   Watch it: NESN   Hear it:  WEEI

The Matchup

Record: 26-19 (1st AL Central)	Record: 28-19 (2nd AL East)
On road: 11-9	At home: 13-10
Streak: L2	Streak: W1
Leaders at the plate	Leaders at the plate
Average: Gomes (.316)	Average: Ortiz (.351)
Homers: Reynolds (12)	Homers: Middlebrooks (8)
RBI: Reynolds (37)	RBI: Napoli (35)
Leaders on the mound	Leaders on the mound
Wins: Masterson (7)	Wins: Buchholz (7)
ERA: McAllister (2.65) | Smith (1.13)	ERA: Buchholz (1.73) | Breslow (1.17)
K's: Masterson (71)	K's: Buchholz (73)

Last time

The Sox bitch-slapped the Indians in Cleveland a little over a month ago. The Sox swept Cleveland with ease. 

Ubaldo Jimenez only lasted 1 2/3, surrendering 7 runs on only 2 hits! Yeah, 2 hits. Most of the damage was associated with the 5 walks he gave up. Napoli had the big bat in that game, with a pair of doubles and 3 ribbies.

The Sox got a rare positive offensive performance against Justin Masterson, tagging him for 4 runs on 11 hits. Mike Napoli came up big again with a double and 2 RBI. Daniel Nava also came up with a pair of RBI in the second game.

Guess which two players came up big in game 3. Yup, you guessed it...I assumed you guessed it and didn't read on to see the names. Mike Napoli and Daniel Nava. Napoli dug out a triple while knocking in a run in another multi-hit game, and Nava drove in another pair of runs. Please, repeat this performance.

 

This time

Laser Show: David Ortiz

David Ortiz is batting .440 (11/25), with 3 homers, and 9 RBI over the last two series. Throw in a steal of 3rd last night and we have ourselves an MVP candidate. Well, not yet, but David is stealing the show in 2013. Ortiz is creeping up on Will Middlebrooks for the team lead in home runs and Napoli for the lead in RBI. F-U Shaughnessy.

Pitch Around: Mark Reynolds

Red Sox pitching did a good job containing him in the last series. Since then, he has picked up the power game considerably. Reynolds is tied for 5th in the majors in homers with 12, and 6th in RBI with 37. Avoid pitching him meatballs.

Don't Fall Behind: Justin Freakin' Masterson

The Red Sox have started figuring him out, especially in their last meeting. Recently, Justin has been on fire, going 3-0, with a 1.17 ERA, and 27 K's in his last 3 starts. Game 2 might get away from the Sox. He will always haunt the Sox, with a few bad outings thrown in from time to time.

How we see it goin' down

Cleveland has turned that tough start around and are atop the AL Central. They have played well over the last month, and have gotten some quality starts from the rotation. Terry Francona's return to Fenway is going to be interesting and hard fought. This has series split written all over it and it will be fun to watch.

First Pitch: Thursday 7:10, Friday 7:10, Saturday 1:35, Sunday 1:35

Arms: Thursday: Zach McAllister, RHP (3-3, 2.65 ERA) vs. Ryan Dempster, RHP (2-4, 4.27 ERA)

Friday: Justin Masterson, RHP (7-2, 2.83 ERA) vs. John Lackey, RHP (2-4, 3.31 ERA)  

Saturday: Scott Kazmir, LHP (2-2, 6.35 ERA) vs. Jon Lester, LHP (6-1, 3.15 ERA)

Sunday: Corey Kluber, RHP (3-3, 5.19 ERA) vs. Felix Doubront, LHP (3-2, 5.61 ERA)

                                  Yard: Fenway Park   Watch it: NESN   Hear it:  WEEI

The Matchup

Record: 26-19 (1st AL Central)	Record: 28-19 (2nd AL East)
On road: 11-9	At home: 13-10
Streak: L2	Streak: W1
Leaders at the plate	Leaders at the plate
Average: Gomes (.316)	Average: Ortiz (.351)
Homers: Reynolds (12)	Homers: Middlebrooks (8)
RBI: Reynolds (37)	RBI: Napoli (35)
Leaders on the mound	Leaders on the mound
Wins: Masterson (7)	Wins: Buchholz (7)
ERA: McAllister (2.65) | Smith (1.13)	ERA: Buchholz (1.73) | Breslow (1.17)
K's: Masterson (71)	K's: Buchholz (73)

Last time

The Sox bitch-slapped the Indians in Cleveland a little over a month ago. The Sox swept Cleveland with ease. 

Ubaldo Jimenez only lasted 1 2/3, surrendering 7 runs on only 2 hits! Yeah, 2 hits. Most of the damage was associated with the 5 walks he gave up. Napoli had the big bat in that game, with a pair of doubles and 3 ribbies.

The Sox got a rare positive offensive performance against Justin Masterson, tagging him for 4 runs on 11 hits. Mike Napoli came up big again with a double and 2 RBI. Daniel Nava also came up with a pair of RBI in the second game.

Guess which two players came up big in game 3. Yup, you guessed it...I assumed you guessed it and didn't read on to see the names. Mike Napoli and Daniel Nava. Napoli dug out a triple while knocking in a run in another multi-hit game, and Nava drove in another pair of runs. Please, repeat this performance.

 

This time

Laser Show: David Ortiz

David Ortiz is batting .440 (11/25), with 3 homers, and 9 RBI over the last two series. Throw in a steal of 3rd last night and we have ourselves an MVP candidate. Well, not yet, but David is stealing the show in 2013. Ortiz is creeping up on Will Middlebrooks for the team lead in home runs and Napoli for the lead in RBI. F-U Shaughnessy.

Pitch Around: Mark Reynolds

Red Sox pitching did a good job containing him in the last series. Since then, he has picked up the power game considerably. Reynolds is tied for 5th in the majors in homers with 12, and 6th in RBI with 37. Avoid pitching him meatballs.

Don't Fall Behind: Justin Freakin' Masterson

The Red Sox have started figuring him out, especially in their last meeting. Recently, Justin has been on fire, going 3-0, with a 1.17 ERA, and 27 K's in his last 3 starts. Game 2 might get away from the Sox. He will always haunt the Sox, with a few bad outings thrown in from time to time.

How we see it goin' down

Cleveland has turned that tough start around and are atop the AL Central. They have played well over the last month, and have gotten some quality starts from the rotation. Terry Francona's return to Fenway is going to be interesting and hard fought. This has series split written all over it and it will be fun to watch.

First Pitch: Thursday 7:10, Friday 7:10, Saturday 1:35, Sunday 1:35

Arms: Thursday: Zach McAllister, RHP (3-3, 2.65 ERA) vs. Ryan Dempster, RHP (2-4, 4.27 ERA)

Friday: Justin Masterson, RHP (7-2, 2.83 ERA) vs. John Lackey, RHP (2-4, 3.31 ERA)  

Saturday: Scott Kazmir, LHP (2-2, 6.35 ERA) vs. Jon Lester, LHP (6-1, 3.15 ERA)

Sunday: Corey Kluber, RHP (3-3, 5.19 ERA) vs. Felix Doubront, LHP (3-2, 5.61 ERA)

                                  Yard: Fenway Park   Watch it: NESN   Hear it:  WEEI

The Matchup

Record: 26-19 (1st AL Central)	Record: 28-19 (2nd AL East)
On road: 11-9	At home: 13-10
Streak: L2	Streak: W1
Leaders at the plate	Leaders at the plate
Average: Gomes (.316)	Average: Ortiz (.351)
Homers: Reynolds (12)	Homers: Middlebrooks (8)
RBI: Reynolds (37)	RBI: Napoli (35)
Leaders on the mound	Leaders on the mound
Wins: Masterson (7)	Wins: Buchholz (7)
ERA: McAllister (2.65) | Smith (1.13)	ERA: Buchholz (1.73) | Breslow (1.17)
K's: Masterson (71)	K's: Buchholz (73)

Last time

The Sox bitch-slapped the Indians in Cleveland a little over a month ago. The Sox swept Cleveland with ease. 

Ubaldo Jimenez only lasted 1 2/3, surrendering 7 runs on only 2 hits! Yeah, 2 hits. Most of the damage was associated with the 5 walks he gave up. Napoli had the big bat in that game, with a pair of doubles and 3 ribbies.

The Sox got a rare positive offensive performance against Justin Masterson, tagging him for 4 runs on 11 hits. Mike Napoli came up big again with a double and 2 RBI. Daniel Nava also came up with a pair of RBI in the second game.

Guess which two players came up big in game 3. Yup, you guessed it...I assumed you guessed it and didn't read on to see the names. Mike Napoli and Daniel Nava. Napoli dug out a triple while knocking in a run in another multi-hit game, and Nava drove in another pair of runs. Please, repeat this performance.

 

This time

Laser Show: David Ortiz

David Ortiz is batting .440 (11/25), with 3 homers, and 9 RBI over the last two series. Throw in a steal of 3rd last night and we have ourselves an MVP candidate. Well, not yet, but David is stealing the show in 2013. Ortiz is creeping up on Will Middlebrooks for the team lead in home runs and Napoli for the lead in RBI. F-U Shaughnessy.

Pitch Around: Mark Reynolds

Red Sox pitching did a good job containing him in the last series. Since then, he has picked up the power game considerably. Reynolds is tied for 5th in the majors in homers with 12, and 6th in RBI with 37. Avoid pitching him meatballs.

Don't Fall Behind: Justin Freakin' Masterson

The Red Sox have started figuring him out, especially in their last meeting. Recently, Justin has been on fire, going 3-0, with a 1.17 ERA, and 27 K's in his last 3 starts. Game 2 might get away from the Sox. He will always haunt the Sox, with a few bad outings thrown in from time to time.

How we see it goin' down

Cleveland has turned that tough start around and are atop the AL Central. They have played well over the last month, and have gotten some quality starts from the rotation. Terry Francona's return to Fenway is going to be interesting and hard fought. This has series split written all over it and it will be fun to watch.

How we see it goin' down: Sox - Sox series

First Pitch: Monday 8:10, Tuesday 8:10, Wednesday 8:10

Arms: Monday: Jon Lester, LHP (6-0, 2.72 ERA)  vs. Dylan Axelrod, RHP (1-3, 4.27 ERA)

Tuesday: Felix Doubront, LHP (3-1, 6.03 ERA) vs. Jose Quintana, LHP (2-1, 3.97 ERA)  

Wednesday: Clay Buchholz, RHP (6-0, 1.78 ERA) vs. Chris Sale, LHP (5-2, 2.53 ERA)

                              Yard: U.S. Cellular Field   Watch it: NESN   Hear it:  WEEI

The Matchup

Record: 27-17 (2nd AL East)	Record: 19-23 (4th AL Central)
On road: 14-7	At home: 8-9
Streak: W5	Streak: L2
Leaders at the plate	Leaders at the plate
Average: Ortiz (.364)	Average: Rios (.301)
Homers: Middlebrooks (8)	Homers: Rios (10)
RBI: Napoli (35)	RBI: Rios (25)
Leaders on the mound	Leaders on the mound
Wins: Buchholz/Lester (6)	Wins: Peavy/Sale(5)
ERA: Buchholz (1.78) | Wilson (1.26)	ERA: Sale (2.53) | Crain (0.93)
K's: Buchholz (69)	K's: Sale (61)

Last time

In one of the few positive series from 2012, the Red Sox took 3-of-4 from the White Sox at home in mid-July. The Red Sox played two 4-game sets with the other Sox and won them both in 2012. Surprising, right? Even more surprising, the Red Sox out-scored the White Sox in the season series 45-20. I wish I could remember those GOOD moments from 2012.

This time

Laser Show: David Ortiz

Big Papi has thrown up some decent numbers against the White Sox in his career. His 26 homers are second most against any non-AL East club. In addition, Ortiz has 74 career ribbies and a .952 OPS against Chicago. Coming off of an 8-for-13 series against the Twins will provide pretty good momentum going into Chicago.

Pitch Around: Alex Rios

The team's Triple Crown leader and biggest threat by far. There is Adam Dunn, but he is having another all-or-nothing season. Alex Rios is the one guy on the White Sox that should be of concern to Sox pitching.

Don't Fall Behind: Chris Sale

Sale is a big strikeout guy and is coming off of two very good great starts. Chris Sale pitched a complete game, 1-hitter against the Angels last Sunday. Then, followed that up with another strong start against the Angels, going 7 2/3, giving up only 3 hits and strike out a dozen. Game 3 will be some pitching duel. 

How we see it goin' down

Our Sox are hot, the others are just okay. If the Sox can continue to swing the bats well, they will have a good shot at winning the series. They will need to scored a few more runs against Chicago, as Minnesota's pitching is inferior compared to the White Sox. Boston has the offensive advantage, and have a slight advantage in the pitching column. The Red Sox will come away with another series, though, I doubt a sweep will be likely.   

How we see it goin' down: Red Sox - Twins series

First Pitch: Friday 8:10, Saturday 7:10, Sunday 2:10

Arms: Friday: Clay Buchholz, RHP (6-0, 1.69 ERA)  vs. Vance Worley, RHP (1-4, 7.15 ERA)

Saturday: Ryan Dempster, RHP (2-4, 3.75 ERA) vs. Scott Diamond, LHP (3-3, 4.08 ERA)  

Sunday: John Lackey, RHP (1-4, 4.05 ERA) vs. Pedro Hernandez, LHP (2-0, 5.79 ERA)

                              Yard: Target Field   Watch it: NESN   Hear it:  WEEI

The Matchup

Record: 24-17 (2nd AL East)	Record: 18-19 (4th AL Central)
On road: 11-7	At home: 9-10
Streak: W2	Streak: L2
Leaders at the plate	Leaders at the plate
Average: Pedroia (.340)	Average: Mauer (.349)
Homers: Middlebrooks/Napoli (7)	Homers: Willingham (5)
RBI: Napoli (34)	RBI: Morneau (28)
Leaders on the mound	Leaders on the mound
Wins: Buchholz/Lester (6)	Wins: Correia (4)
ERA: Buchholz (1.69) | Wilson (1.50)	ERA: Correia (3.35) | Pressly (1.53)
K's: Dempster (61)	K's: Correia (22)

Last time

The Twins shocked Boston when they came in from May 6-9, and took 3-of-4 from the Sox. After pulling out a victory in the 11th inning of game 1, the Sox were out-scored 26-12 in the final 3 games of the series. Joe Mauer killed the Sox, going 8-for-18 in the series, crossing home plate 7 times in the series.

Don't forget about Allen Webster's 1 2/3 innings of work, where he gave up 8 runs on 6 hits. Actually, forget about that.

This time

Laser Show: Dustin Pedroia

Pedey is on fire and there is no sign of slowing down just yet. He is a nifty 16 for his last 32 in the last 8 games...so, we carry the one, divide by 2 multiplied by the square root of 8743, then divided by pi, and we get a batting average of .500 in that time span. There is a great chance he will keep it up against a below average pitching staff.

Pitch Around: Joe Mauer

He played very well against the Sox last time and he can very well do it again. His .349 batting average is a pretty good indicator of what could be if not contained. 

Don't Fall Behind: Pedro Hernandez

Pedro Hernandez is in no way a pitcher to be afraid of, though, since he is opposing John Lackey, the Sox cannot give him anything to work with. Lackey needs as much run support as possible, so the Sox need to score some runs early against Hernandez...and everyone else in the series.

How we see it goin' down

The Sox are coming off of a great confidence-boosting win in Tampa and they want redemption for the last series against the Twins. The Red Sox have the pitching advantage in the series, but I have said that before. The Sox may not sweep, though 2 out of 3 sounds pretty good. We'll go with that.  

How we see it goin' down: Sox - Rays series

First Pitch: Tuesday 7:10, Wednesday 7:10, Thursday 7:10

Arms: Tuesday: John Lackey, RHP (1-3, 2.82 ERA)  vs. Matt Moore, LHP (6-0, 2.14 ERA)

Wednesday: Jon Lester, LHP (5-0, 2.73 ERA) vs. David Price, LHP (1-3, 4.78 ERA)  

Thursday: Clay Buchholz, RHP (6-0, 1.69 ERA) vs. Alex Cobb, RHP (4-2, 3.02 ERA)

                                  Yard: Tropicana Field  Watch it: NESN   Hear it:  WEEI

The Matchup

Record: 22-16 (3rd AL East)	Record: 19-18 (4th AL East)
On road: 9-6	At home: 13-6
Streak: L2	Streak: W5
Leaders at the plate	Leaders at the plate
Average: Carp (.351)	Average: Loney (.376)
Homers: Napoli (7)	Homers: Longoria (9)
RBI: Napoli (33)	RBI: Longoria (26)
Leaders on the mound	Leaders on the mound
Wins: Buchholz (6)	Wins: Moore (6)
ERA: Buchholz (1.69) | Wilson (1.54)	ERA: Moore (2.14) | Lueke (0.00)
K's: Dempster (61)	K's: Price (48)

Last time

The Red Sox swept the Rays at Fenway one month ago. Game one consisted of a pitchers duel...sort of. Price and Lester each gave up only 1 run in their outings. The Sox ended up with the win in the 10th on a Victorino single to drive in Ellsbury.

Clay Buchholz was dominant in game 2, throwing 8 innings of shut-out, 2-hit ball. Pedey went 3-for-4 in the game, and Napoli contributed with a double that drove in a pair of runs that were more than enough.

The Sox got another walk-off victory in game 2, which consisted of another good pitching matchup in Hellickson and Dempster. Ryan Dempster gave up only 2 hits, one of them a solo homer, and struck out 10 Rays in his outing. Mike Napoli capped off his good-not-great series with a walk-off double that scored Pedroia in the 9th. A repeat would be nice.

 

This time

Laser Show: Dustin Pedroia

The first name that popped in my head. He had a good series against the Rays last month, so why not? Historic stats have meant nothing over the past few series. This offense needs a spark and Pedroia is certainly capable of doing just that.

Pitch Around: Evan Longoria

A .333 average with 9 homers, and 26 RBI, should be enough to pitch around every few at-bats. Longoria is locked in and could be huge trouble for Sox pitching.

Don't Fall Behind: Matt Moore

Moore is pitching out of his mind right now. The Red Sox will not get many opportunities to compile threats in the game and cannot miss any mistakes Moore throws at them. Going up against Lackey, the Sox need to knock him down quickly...but don't count on it.

How we see it goin' down

The Sox need to get back to their winning ways very soon, though this may not be the series. They will start the series with a serious pitching disadvantage, which evens out for games 2 and 3. Even though David Price's record and ERA are terrible, he is still a great pitcher and can shut the offense down very quickly. The Sox are definitely underdogs in the series and will drop 2 in Tampa. They'll get their revenge and start winning again in Minnesota...maybe.

How we see it goin' down: Red Sox - Rangers series

First Pitch: Friday 8:05, Saturday 8:05, Sunday 3:05

Arms: Friday: Felix Doubront, LHP (3-0, 4.24 ERA)  vs. Derek Holland, LHP (1-2, 3.38 ERA)

Saturday: John Lackey, RHP (1-1, 2.61 ERA) vs. Alexi Ogando, RHP (2-2, 3.38 ERA)  

Sunday: Jon Lester, LHP (4-0, 3.11 ERA) vs. Yu Darvish, RHP (5-1, 2.33 ERA)

                           Yard: Rangers Ballpark in Arlington   Watch it: NESN   Hear it:  WEEI

The Matchup

Record: 20-8 (1st AL East)	Record: 17-11 (1st AL West)
On road: 9-3	At home: 8-4
Streak: W2	Streak: L2
Leaders at the plate	Leaders at the plate
Average: Ortiz (.487)	Average: Kinsler (.330)
Homers: Middlebrooks/Napoli (6)	Homers: Beltre/Cruz (6)
RBI: Napoli (31)	RBI: Cruz (20)
Leaders on the mound	Leaders on the mound
Wins: Buchholz (6)	Wins: Darvish (5)
ERA: Buchholz (1.01) | Wilson (1.35)	ERA: Grimm (2.28) | Scheppers (0.61)
K's: Buchholz/Dempster (47)	K's: Darvish (58)

Last time

Much like other series from 2012, the Sox dropped 2-of-3 to Texas at home in early August. Unlike other series, the Sox actually outscored the Rangers 21-18, thanks to a 9-2 game 1 win, and keeping it close in games 2 and 3. All insignificant.

This time

Laser Show: Mike Napoli

No stats, just going on feeling. If you haven't figured it out by now, my gut feeling is always wrong. Scratch that...mostly wrong. I feel good about Mike Napoli's return to Texas. A couple of homers, a bunch of RBI, maybe a couple walks...yeah, that sounds good.

Pitch Around: Ian Kinsler

Kinsler is having himself a nice little start to the season. A .330 average, 5 homers, 17 RBI, 7 doubles, and 3 steals are not too shabby. If he is considerate, he will knock all of that off for a few games. I am not even going to mention his 13 career homers and 32 RBI, against the Sox. What good would that be?

Don't Fall Behind: Yu Darvish

I don't think it is necessary to explain why. Want something? MLB leader in K's with 58, has only given up 23 hits in 38 2/3 innings, and will dominate the shit out of any batter that falls behind in the count.

How we see it goin' down

The Sox will have a big test ahead of them in this series. Texas is a very good team with some very good pitching. If John Lackey can pitch as well as he did in his last outing, the Sox will have a chance. Since I don't have much confidence in him, I am going to have to give the series to Texas with the Sox squeaking out one...probably the first game. 

How we see it goin' down: Sox - Jays series

First Pitch: Tuesday 7:07, Wednesday 7:07, Thursday 7:07

Arms: Tuesday: Jon Lester, LHP (4-0, 2.27 ERA)  vs. Brandon Morrow, RHP (0-2, 5.27 ERA)

Wednesday: Clay Buchholz, RHP (5-0, 1.19 ERA) vs. Mark Buehrle, LHP (1-1, 6.35 ERA)  

Thursday: Ryan Dempster, RHP (1-2, 3.30 ERA) vs. Josh Johnson, RHP (0-1, 6.86 ERA)

                                  Yard: Rogers Centre   Watch it: NESN   Hear it:  WEEI

The Matchup

Record: 18-7 (1st AL East)	Record: 9-17 (Last AL East)
On road: 7-2	At home: 5-8
Streak: W5	Streak: L4
Leaders at the plate	Leaders at the plate
Average: Ortiz (.516)	Average: Davis (.267)
Homers: Middlebrooks (6)	Homers: Arencibia (8)
RBI: Napoli (27)	RBI: Encarnacion (16)
Leaders on the mound	Leaders on the mound
Wins: Buchholz (5)	Wins: Dickey/Happ (2)
ERA: Buchholz (1.19) | Wilson (0.00)	ERA: Happ (3.86) | Janssen (1.13)
K's: Dempster (43)	K's: Dickey (28)

Last time

The Sox took games 1 and 3 of the second series of this season. Game 2 consisted of the John Lackey arm injury, which led to a Sox shutout loss. The Sox rebounded nicely in game 3 with the huge 13-0 pounding of the Blue Jays to close out the first meeting of the season between our Canadian rival.

This time

Laser Show: David Ortiz

David Ortiz has some great career numbers in Toronto. Outside of Fenway, the Rogers Centre has seen the most David Ortiz homers of any opponent (30). Big Papi has also driven in 82 runs and hit 28 double in Toronto, more than any other park other than Fenway and the Metrodome. It is safe to say that Ortiz likes to play in Toronto, and when you throw in his performance to start his season, it is looking like Ortiz will continue his tear.

Pitch Around: J.P. Arencibia

Mediocre average with great power. Arencibia swings at a lot and, in turn, strikes out a lot. J.P. has struck out 37 times this season, good for 3rd in the majors. As long as Sox' pitching can stay ahead in the count, they will have no problem containing Arencibia.

Don't Fall Behind: No One

I would normally say Mark Buehrle, but he sucks along with the rest of the staff this season. The Sox have lucked out for the second straight series, getting sub-par opponent pitching. The Sox have a huge advantage on the mound and should have little issues at the plate.

How we see it goin' down

I doubt the Sox will have any issues with the Jays in the series. Game 2 will be overshadowed by game 1 of the Bruins -  Maple Leafs series, and that will likely be the best pitching matchup. The Red Sox will come out of this series with another sweep and set a new team record for wins in April with a win tonight. This should be a fun series for Red Sox fans.

How we see it goin' down: Astros - Red Sox series

First Pitch: Thursday 6:35, Friday 7:10, Saturday 7:10, Sunday 1:35

Arms: Thursday: Philip Humber, RHP (0-4, 6.63 ERA)  vs. Clay Buchholz, RHP (4-0, 0.90 ERA)

Friday: Erik Bedard, LHP (0-1, 6.17 ERA) vs. Ryan Dempster, RHP (0-2, 3.38 ERA)  

Saturday: Brad Peacock, RHP (1-2, 7.50 ERA) vs. Felix Doubront, LHP (2-0, 4.32 ERA)

Sunday: Bud Norris, RHP (3-2, 4.13 ERA) vs. John Lackey, RHP (0-1, 4.15 ERA)

                                  Yard: Fenway Park   Watch it: NESN   Hear it:  WEEI

The Matchup

Record: 7-14 (Last AL West)	Record: 14-7 (1st AL East)
On road: 3-6	At home: 7-5
Streak: W2	Streak: W1
Leaders at the plate	Leaders at the plate
Average: Barnes (.367)	Average: Ortiz (.500)
Homers: Ankiel/Carter (5)	Homers: Middlebrooks (5)
RBI: Ankiel/Carter (11)	RBI: Napoli (26)
Leaders on the mound	Leaders on the mound
Wins: Norris (3)	Wins: Buchholz/Lester (4)
ERA: Harrell (4.08) | Cisnero/Fields (0.00)	ERA: Buchholz (0.90) | Wilson (0.00)
K's: Harrell (20)	K's: Dempster (33)

Last time

The last time these two teams met was July 1-3 of 2011 in Houston. The Sox swept the Astros to close out inter-league play in 2011. The Sox got wins from Dan Wheeler, Andrew Miller, and that Beckett guy. Many of the players on the roster at the time are no longer members of the team, so there is no point going through the in-depth analysis.

This time

Laser Show: Mike Napoli

Why not? He is hot at the plate and leading the league in RBI, while making everyone wish he had signed that initial 3-year deal. He is lovin' Fenway Park and expect the production to continue against the worst team in the AL.

Pitch Around: Jose Altuve

Altuve is in no way a power threat, although he is the only guy in Houston that can consistently put the bat on the ball. Expect a lot of singles from Jose in the series. There won't be many batters that will be able to knock him in, so there should be no worry if Altuve reaches base.

Don't Fall Behind: No One

The Houston Astros' starting pitching is horrendous. We will see our old friend that we hardly knew, Erik Bedard, who is stinking something fierce. The Sox should be able to jump all over this pitching staff and put up some big numbers.

How we see it goin' down

The Red Sox didn't look that great against the A's, though I don't see them having any struggles against Houston. The Astros are pretty bad leading to a 4-game sweep prediction in favor of the Red Sox. A 4-game sweep is very hard to do, but this series has that result written all over it. 

First Pitch: Thursday 6:35, Friday 7:10, Saturday 7:10, Sunday 1:35

Arms: Thursday: Philip Humber, RHP (0-4, 6.63 ERA)  vs. Clay Buchholz, RHP (4-0, 0.90 ERA)

Friday: Erik Bedard, LHP (0-1, 6.17 ERA) vs. Ryan Dempster, RHP (0-2, 3.38 ERA)  

Saturday: Brad Peacock, RHP (1-2, 7.50 ERA) vs. Felix Doubront, LHP (2-0, 4.32 ERA)

Sunday: Bud Norris, RHP (3-2, 4.13 ERA) vs. John Lackey, RHP (0-1, 4.15 ERA)

                                  Yard: Fenway Park   Watch it: NESN   Hear it:  WEEI

The Matchup

Record: 7-14 (Last AL West)	Record: 14-7 (1st AL East)
On road: 3-6	At home: 7-5
Streak: W2	Streak: W1
Leaders at the plate	Leaders at the plate
Average: Barnes (.367)	Average: Ortiz (.500)
Homers: Ankiel/Carter (5)	Homers: Middlebrooks (5)
RBI: Ankiel/Carter (11)	RBI: Napoli (26)
Leaders on the mound	Leaders on the mound
Wins: Norris (3)	Wins: Buchholz/Lester (4)
ERA: Harrell (4.08) | Cisnero/Fields (0.00)	ERA: Buchholz (0.90) | Wilson (0.00)
K's: Harrell (20)	K's: Dempster (33)

Last time

The last time these two teams met was July 1-3 of 2011 in Houston. The Sox swept the Astros to close out inter-league play in 2011. The Sox got wins from Dan Wheeler, Andrew Miller, and that Beckett guy. Many of the players on the roster at the time are no longer members of the team, so there is no point going through the in-depth analysis.

This time

Laser Show: Mike Napoli

Why not? He is hot at the plate and leading the league in RBI, while making everyone wish he had signed that initial 3-year deal. He is lovin' Fenway Park and expect the production to continue against the worst team in the AL.

Pitch Around: Jose Altuve

Altuve is in no way a power threat, although he is the only guy in Houston that can consistently put the bat on the ball. Expect a lot of singles from Jose in the series. There won't be many batters that will be able to knock him in, so there should be no worry if Altuve reaches base.

Don't Fall Behind: No One

The Houston Astros' starting pitching is horrendous. We will see our old friend that we hardly knew, Erik Bedard, who is stinking something fierce. The Sox should be able to jump all over this pitching staff and put up some big numbers.

How we see it goin' down

The Red Sox didn't look that great against the A's, though I don't see them having any struggles against Houston. The Astros are pretty bad leading to a 4-game sweep prediction in favor of the Red Sox. A 4-game sweep is very hard to do, but this series has that result written all over it. 

First Pitch: Thursday 6:35, Friday 7:10, Saturday 7:10, Sunday 1:35

Arms: Thursday: Philip Humber, RHP (0-4, 6.63 ERA)  vs. Clay Buchholz, RHP (4-0, 0.90 ERA)

Friday: Erik Bedard, LHP (0-1, 6.17 ERA) vs. Ryan Dempster, RHP (0-2, 3.38 ERA)  

Saturday: Brad Peacock, RHP (1-2, 7.50 ERA) vs. Felix Doubront, LHP (2-0, 4.32 ERA)

Sunday: Bud Norris, RHP (3-2, 4.13 ERA) vs. John Lackey, RHP (0-1, 4.15 ERA)

                                  Yard: Fenway Park   Watch it: NESN   Hear it:  WEEI

The Matchup

Record: 7-14 (Last AL West)	Record: 14-7 (1st AL East)
On road: 3-6	At home: 7-5
Streak: W2	Streak: W1
Leaders at the plate	Leaders at the plate
Average: Barnes (.367)	Average: Ortiz (.500)
Homers: Ankiel/Carter (5)	Homers: Middlebrooks (5)
RBI: Ankiel/Carter (11)	RBI: Napoli (26)
Leaders on the mound	Leaders on the mound
Wins: Norris (3)	Wins: Buchholz/Lester (4)
ERA: Harrell (4.08) | Cisnero/Fields (0.00)	ERA: Buchholz (0.90) | Wilson (0.00)
K's: Harrell (20)	K's: Dempster (33)

Last time

The last time these two teams met was July 1-3 of 2011 in Houston. The Sox swept the Astros to close out inter-league play in 2011. The Sox got wins from Dan Wheeler, Andrew Miller, and that Beckett guy. Many of the players on the roster at the time are no longer members of the team, so there is no point going through the in-depth analysis.

This time

Laser Show: Mike Napoli

Why not? He is hot at the plate and leading the league in RBI, while making everyone wish he had signed that initial 3-year deal. He is lovin' Fenway Park and expect the production to continue against the worst team in the AL.

Pitch Around: Jose Altuve

Altuve is in no way a power threat, although he is the only guy in Houston that can consistently put the bat on the ball. Expect a lot of singles from Jose in the series. There won't be many batters that will be able to knock him in, so there should be no worry if Altuve reaches base.

Don't Fall Behind: No One

The Houston Astros' starting pitching is horrendous. We will see our old friend that we hardly knew, Erik Bedard, who is stinking something fierce. The Sox should be able to jump all over this pitching staff and put up some big numbers.

How we see it goin' down

The Red Sox didn't look that great against the A's, though I don't see them having any struggles against Houston. The Astros are pretty bad leading to a 4-game sweep prediction in favor of the Red Sox. A 4-game sweep is very hard to do, but this series has that result written all over it. 

First Pitch: Thursday 6:35, Friday 7:10, Saturday 7:10, Sunday 1:35

Arms: Thursday: Philip Humber, RHP (0-4, 6.63 ERA)  vs. Clay Buchholz, RHP (4-0, 0.90 ERA)

Friday: Erik Bedard, LHP (0-1, 6.17 ERA) vs. Ryan Dempster, RHP (0-2, 3.38 ERA)  

Saturday: Brad Peacock, RHP (1-2, 7.50 ERA) vs. Felix Doubront, LHP (2-0, 4.32 ERA)

Sunday: Bud Norris, RHP (3-2, 4.13 ERA) vs. John Lackey, RHP (0-1, 4.15 ERA)

                                  Yard: Fenway Park   Watch it: NESN   Hear it:  WEEI

The Matchup

Record: 7-14 (Last AL West)	Record: 14-7 (1st AL East)
On road: 3-6	At home: 7-5
Streak: W2	Streak: W1
Leaders at the plate	Leaders at the plate
Average: Barnes (.367)	Average: Ortiz (.500)
Homers: Ankiel/Carter (5)	Homers: Middlebrooks (5)
RBI: Ankiel/Carter (11)	RBI: Napoli (26)
Leaders on the mound	Leaders on the mound
Wins: Norris (3)	Wins: Buchholz/Lester (4)
ERA: Harrell (4.08) | Cisnero/Fields (0.00)	ERA: Buchholz (0.90) | Wilson (0.00)
K's: Harrell (20)	K's: Dempster (33)

Last time

The last time these two teams met was July 1-3 of 2011 in Houston. The Sox swept the Astros to close out inter-league play in 2011. The Sox got wins from Dan Wheeler, Andrew Miller, and that Beckett guy. Many of the players on the roster at the time are no longer members of the team, so there is no point going through the in-depth analysis.

This time

Laser Show: Mike Napoli

Why not? He is hot at the plate and leading the league in RBI, while making everyone wish he had signed that initial 3-year deal. He is lovin' Fenway Park and expect the production to continue against the worst team in the AL.

Pitch Around: Jose Altuve

Altuve is in no way a power threat, although he is the only guy in Houston that can consistently put the bat on the ball. Expect a lot of singles from Jose in the series. There won't be many batters that will be able to knock him in, so there should be no worry if Altuve reaches base.

Don't Fall Behind: No One

The Houston Astros' starting pitching is horrendous. We will see our old friend that we hardly knew, Erik Bedard, who is stinking something fierce. The Sox should be able to jump all over this pitching staff and put up some big numbers.

How we see it goin' down

The Red Sox didn't look that great against the A's, though I don't see them having any struggles against Houston. The Astros are pretty bad leading to a 4-game sweep prediction in favor of the Red Sox. A 4-game sweep is very hard to do, but this series has that result written all over it. 

How we see it goin' down: A's - Sox series

First Pitch: Monday 6:35, Tuesday 6:35, Wednesday 4:05

Arms: Monday: A.J. Griffin, RHP  (2-00, 2.25 ERA)  vs. Felix Doubront, LHP (1-0, 4.50 ERA)

Tuesday: Bartolo Colon, RHP (2-0, 3.32 ERA) vs. Alfredo Aceves, RHP (1-0, 6.28 ERA)  

Wednesday: Brett Anderson, LHP (1-3, 5.95 ERA) vs. Jon Lester, LHP (3-0, 1.73 ERA)

                                  Yard: Fenway Park   Watch it: NESN   Hear it:  WEEI

The Matchup

Record: 12-7 (2nd AL West)	Record: 12-6 (1st AL East)
On road: 6-3	At home: 5-4
Streak: L3	Streak: L2
Leaders at the plate	Leaders at the plate
Average: Smith (.388)	Average: Ortiz (.625)
Homers: Crisp (5)	Homers: Middlebrooks/Nava (4)
RBI: Lowrie/Moss (14)	RBI: Napoli (20)
Leaders on the mound	Leaders on the mound
Wins: Milone (3)	Wins: Buchholz (4)
ERA: Griffin (2.25) | Cook (0.87)	ERA: Buchholz (0.90) | Wilson (0.00)
K's: Milone (21)	K's: Dempster (33)

Last time

The Red Sox got their asses handed to them in Oakland to kick off the month of September of 2012. The Sox were outscored 33-5 in the series with a 20-2 loss to kick off the series. Much like the recent recaps of series from 2012, we don't want to be reminded of any more details.

This time

Laser Show: Mike Napoli

Mike is an RBI machine. He is 3rd in the majors with 20 RBI, and even with the low .267 average, Napoli is going to up that average number while driving in some more runs. Want some stats to back that up? How about a .400 and .375 batting average against Anderson and Colon, respectively. Throw in a .900 SLG% coming out to a 1.471 OPS against Brett Anderson, and we a bit more backup for a potential big series for Mike Napoli.

Pitch Around: All the former Sox players

Here is why:

Coco Crisp: Leading the team in homers with 5, batting .328, and leads the team with 6 steals.

Jed Lowrie: Second on the team with a .382 BA, and tied for the team lead in RBI with 14.

Brandon Moss: Tied with Lowrie in RBI with 14.

Josh Reddick: Only batting .113 with a homer and 8 RBI, but the potential for damage is there.

Don't Fall Behind: A.J. Griffin

Clearly the best of the 3 Oakland starters going in the series. Though, Bartolo Colon is pitching pretty well for a senior citizen. So, watch out for Colon as well.

How we see it goin' down

Coming off of a disappointing Sunday, the Sox are looking to come up with another winning streak as we all try to normal around the city. The Sox have the pitching advantage in game 3, though the A's have the upper hand in the first two matchups. David Ortiz has started his season hot, but it may not be enough if Colon and Griffin continue their hot starts. I am going to have to give the series to Oakland with the Sox salvaging the final game.

First Pitch: Monday 6:35, Tuesday 6:35, Wednesday 4:05

Arms: Monday: A.J. Griffin, RHP  (2-00, 2.25 ERA)  vs. Felix Doubront, LHP (1-0, 4.50 ERA)

Tuesday: Bartolo Colon, RHP (2-0, 3.32 ERA) vs. Alfredo Aceves, RHP (1-0, 6.28 ERA)  

Wednesday: Brett Anderson, LHP (1-3, 5.95 ERA) vs. Jon Lester, LHP (3-0, 1.73 ERA)

                                  Yard: Fenway Park   Watch it: NESN   Hear it:  WEEI

The Matchup

Record: 12-7 (2nd AL West)	Record: 12-6 (1st AL East)
On road: 6-3	At home: 5-4
Streak: L3	Streak: L2
Leaders at the plate	Leaders at the plate
Average: Smith (.388)	Average: Ortiz (.625)
Homers: Crisp (5)	Homers: Middlebrooks/Nava (4)
RBI: Lowrie/Moss (14)	RBI: Napoli (20)
Leaders on the mound	Leaders on the mound
Wins: Milone (3)	Wins: Buchholz (4)
ERA: Griffin (2.25) | Cook (0.87)	ERA: Buchholz (0.90) | Wilson (0.00)
K's: Milone (21)	K's: Dempster (33)

Last time

The Red Sox got their asses handed to them in Oakland to kick off the month of September of 2012. The Sox were outscored 33-5 in the series with a 20-2 loss to kick off the series. Much like the recent recaps of series from 2012, we don't want to be reminded of any more details.

This time

Laser Show: Mike Napoli

Mike is an RBI machine. He is 3rd in the majors with 20 RBI, and even with the low .267 average, Napoli is going to up that average number while driving in some more runs. Want some stats to back that up? How about a .400 and .375 batting average against Anderson and Colon, respectively. Throw in a .900 SLG% coming out to a 1.471 OPS against Brett Anderson, and we a bit more backup for a potential big series for Mike Napoli.

Pitch Around: All the former Sox players

Here is why:

Coco Crisp: Leading the team in homers with 5, batting .328, and leads the team with 6 steals.

Jed Lowrie: Second on the team with a .382 BA, and tied for the team lead in RBI with 14.

Brandon Moss: Tied with Lowrie in RBI with 14.

Josh Reddick: Only batting .113 with a homer and 8 RBI, but the potential for damage is there.

Don't Fall Behind: A.J. Griffin

Clearly the best of the 3 Oakland starters going in the series. Though, Bartolo Colon is pitching pretty well for a senior citizen. So, watch out for Colon as well.

How we see it goin' down

Coming off of a disappointing Sunday, the Sox are looking to come up with another winning streak as we all try to normal around the city. The Sox have the pitching advantage in game 3, though the A's have the upper hand in the first two matchups. David Ortiz has started his season hot, but it may not be enough if Colon and Griffin continue their hot starts. I am going to have to give the series to Oakland with the Sox salvaging the final game.

First Pitch: Monday 6:35, Tuesday 6:35, Wednesday 4:05

Arms: Monday: A.J. Griffin, RHP  (2-00, 2.25 ERA)  vs. Felix Doubront, LHP (1-0, 4.50 ERA)

Tuesday: Bartolo Colon, RHP (2-0, 3.32 ERA) vs. Alfredo Aceves, RHP (1-0, 6.28 ERA)  

Wednesday: Brett Anderson, LHP (1-3, 5.95 ERA) vs. Jon Lester, LHP (3-0, 1.73 ERA)

                                  Yard: Fenway Park   Watch it: NESN   Hear it:  WEEI

The Matchup

Record: 12-7 (2nd AL West)	Record: 12-6 (1st AL East)
On road: 6-3	At home: 5-4
Streak: L3	Streak: L2
Leaders at the plate	Leaders at the plate
Average: Smith (.388)	Average: Ortiz (.625)
Homers: Crisp (5)	Homers: Middlebrooks/Nava (4)
RBI: Lowrie/Moss (14)	RBI: Napoli (20)
Leaders on the mound	Leaders on the mound
Wins: Milone (3)	Wins: Buchholz (4)
ERA: Griffin (2.25) | Cook (0.87)	ERA: Buchholz (0.90) | Wilson (0.00)
K's: Milone (21)	K's: Dempster (33)

Last time

The Red Sox got their asses handed to them in Oakland to kick off the month of September of 2012. The Sox were outscored 33-5 in the series with a 20-2 loss to kick off the series. Much like the recent recaps of series from 2012, we don't want to be reminded of any more details.

This time

Laser Show: Mike Napoli

Mike is an RBI machine. He is 3rd in the majors with 20 RBI, and even with the low .267 average, Napoli is going to up that average number while driving in some more runs. Want some stats to back that up? How about a .400 and .375 batting average against Anderson and Colon, respectively. Throw in a .900 SLG% coming out to a 1.471 OPS against Brett Anderson, and we a bit more backup for a potential big series for Mike Napoli.

Pitch Around: All the former Sox players

Here is why:

Coco Crisp: Leading the team in homers with 5, batting .328, and leads the team with 6 steals.

Jed Lowrie: Second on the team with a .382 BA, and tied for the team lead in RBI with 14.

Brandon Moss: Tied with Lowrie in RBI with 14.

Josh Reddick: Only batting .113 with a homer and 8 RBI, but the potential for damage is there.

Don't Fall Behind: A.J. Griffin

Clearly the best of the 3 Oakland starters going in the series. Though, Bartolo Colon is pitching pretty well for a senior citizen. So, watch out for Colon as well.

How we see it goin' down

Coming off of a disappointing Sunday, the Sox are looking to come up with another winning streak as we all try to normal around the city. The Sox have the pitching advantage in game 3, though the A's have the upper hand in the first two matchups. David Ortiz has started his season hot, but it may not be enough if Colon and Griffin continue their hot starts. I am going to have to give the series to Oakland with the Sox salvaging the final game.

How we see it goin' down: Rays - Sox series

First Pitch: Friday 7:10, Saturday 1:05, Sunday 1:35, Monday 11:05

Arms: Friday: Alex Cobb, RHP  (1-0, 0.00 ERA)  vs. Felix Doubront, LHP (0-0, 5.40 ERA)

Saturday: David Price, LHP (0-1, 8.18 ERA) vs. Jon Lester, LHP (2-0, 1.50 ERA)  

Sunday: Jeremy Hellickson, RHP (0-1, 6.35 ERA) vs. Clay Buchholz, RHP (2-0, 0.64 ERA)

Monday: Roberto Hernandez, RHP (0-2 6.08 ERA) vd. Ryan Dempster, RHP (0-1, 3.60 ERA)

                                  Yard: Fenway Park   Watch it: NESN   Hear it:  WEEI

The Matchup

Record: 4-5	Record: 5-4
On road: 1-2	At home: 1-2
Streak: W1	Streak: L2
Leaders at the plate	Leaders at the plate
Average: Zobrist (.364)	Average: Nava (.421)
Homers: 4 tied (1)	Homers: Middlebrooks (4)
RBI: Zobrist (9)	RBI: Ellsbury/Napoli (8)
Leaders on the mound	Leaders on the mound
Wins: Moore  (2)	Wins: Buchholz/Lester (2)
ERA: Cobb/Moore (0.00) | Wright (0.00)	ERA: Buchholz (0.64) | 3 tied (0.00)
K's: Moore (13)	K's: Dempster (15)

Last time

The Red Sox and Rays split their last series in mid-September at the Trop. Doubront and Aaron Cook got the wins for the Sox and Dice-K laid an egg, as he usually did, for the worst loss of the series,13-3. The Sox were outscored 20-7 in the two losses. At least they got two games out of it.

This time

Laser Show: Will Middlebrooks

Middlebrooks is only batting .222, but Rays pitching is struggling, which is unusual for that club as of late. Pitchers have learned not to pitch to Will in his wheel-house, but if Rays pitching doesn't improve in this series, you can count on Middlebrooks making them pay for mistakes. .

Pitch Around: Ben Zobrist

Ben Zobrist is killing opposing pitchers in this young season. Zobrist has come up big in key situations, batting .600 with 4 RBI in situations with 2 outs and RISP. His average is much better when he bats right, but his homer and 7 out of his 9 RBI have come from the left side. Translation: He is dangerous from both sides of the plate. It's still early, and a trip to cold Fenway could ice him.

Don't Fall Behind: Alex Cobb

Young, Boston born, Alex Cobb, was lights out in his first and only start of the young season. Cobb went 7 1/3, scattering 4 hits, 3 walks and stuck out 6. Compared to the rest of the staff's performance (with the exception of Moore), that's pretty damn good. Even when not compared to the rest of the staff, it's pretty good. The Sox need to act early against him, and not let him get into any rhythm. Try to work some walks and tire him out to get to the bullpen early.

How we see it goin' down

It is tough to win a 4-game series, especially against AL East teams. Given the poor performance of Rays starting pitching, the Sox' chances of coming away with 3 wins are pretty good. The definitely win the pitching matchups, which is good enough for me to predict a series win for the Red Sox. 

First Pitch: Friday 7:10, Saturday 1:05, Sunday 1:35, Monday 11:05

Arms: Friday: Alex Cobb, RHP  (1-0, 0.00 ERA)  vs. Felix Doubront, LHP (0-0, 5.40 ERA)

Saturday: David Price, LHP (0-1, 8.18 ERA) vs. Jon Lester, LHP (2-0, 1.50 ERA)  

Sunday: Jeremy Hellickson, RHP (0-1, 6.35 ERA) vs. Clay Buchholz, RHP (2-0, 0.64 ERA)

Monday: Roberto Hernandez, RHP (0-2 6.08 ERA) vd. Ryan Dempster, RHP (0-1, 3.60 ERA)

                                  Yard: Fenway Park   Watch it: NESN   Hear it:  WEEI

The Matchup

Record: 4-5	Record: 5-4
On road: 1-2	At home: 1-2
Streak: W1	Streak: L2
Leaders at the plate	Leaders at the plate
Average: Zobrist (.364)	Average: Nava (.421)
Homers: 4 tied (1)	Homers: Middlebrooks (4)
RBI: Zobrist (9)	RBI: Ellsbury/Napoli (8)
Leaders on the mound	Leaders on the mound
Wins: Moore  (2)	Wins: Buchholz/Lester (2)
ERA: Cobb/Moore (0.00) | Wright (0.00)	ERA: Buchholz (0.64) | 3 tied (0.00)
K's: Moore (13)	K's: Dempster (15)

Last time

The Red Sox and Rays split their last series in mid-September at the Trop. Doubront and Aaron Cook got the wins for the Sox and Dice-K laid an egg, as he usually did, for the worst loss of the series,13-3. The Sox were outscored 20-7 in the two losses. At least they got two games out of it.

This time

Laser Show: Will Middlebrooks

Middlebrooks is only batting .222, but Rays pitching is struggling, which is unusual for that club as of late. Pitchers have learned not to pitch to Will in his wheel-house, but if Rays pitching doesn't improve in this series, you can count on Middlebrooks making them pay for mistakes. .

Pitch Around: Ben Zobrist

Ben Zobrist is killing opposing pitchers in this young season. Zobrist has come up big in key situations, batting .600 with 4 RBI in situations with 2 outs and RISP. His average is much better when he bats right, but his homer and 7 out of his 9 RBI have come from the left side. Translation: He is dangerous from both sides of the plate. It's still early, and a trip to cold Fenway could ice him.

Don't Fall Behind: Alex Cobb

Young, Boston born, Alex Cobb, was lights out in his first and only start of the young season. Cobb went 7 1/3, scattering 4 hits, 3 walks and stuck out 6. Compared to the rest of the staff's performance (with the exception of Moore), that's pretty damn good. Even when not compared to the rest of the staff, it's pretty good. The Sox need to act early against him, and not let him get into any rhythm. Try to work some walks and tire him out to get to the bullpen early.

How we see it goin' down

It is tough to win a 4-game series, especially against AL East teams. Given the poor performance of Rays starting pitching, the Sox' chances of coming away with 3 wins are pretty good. The definitely win the pitching matchups, which is good enough for me to predict a series win for the Red Sox. 

How we see it goin' down: Sox - Yanks series

First Pitch: Monday 1:05, Wednesday 7:05, Thursday 1:35

Arms: Monday: Jon Lester, LHP  (0-0, -.-- ERA)  vs. CC Sabathia, LHP (0-0, -.-- ERA)

Wednesday: Clay Buchholz, RHP (0-0, -.-- ERA) vs. Hiroki Kuroda, RHP (0-0, -.-- ERA)

Thursday: Ryan Dempster, RHP (0-0, -.-- ERA) vs. Andy Pettitte. LHP (0-0, -.--ERA)

                                  Yard: Yankee Stadium   Watch it: NESN/ESPN   Hear it:  WEEI

The Matchup

Record: 0-0 (2012: 69-93)	Record: 0-0 (2012: 95-67)
On road: 2012: 35-46	At home: 2012: 51-30
Streak: -	Streak: -
Leaders at the plate (2012 - current members)	Leaders at the plate (2012 - current members)
Average: Ortiz (.318)	Average: Jeter (.316)
Homers: Saltalamacchia (25)	Homers: Granderson (43)
RBI: Pedroia (65)	RBI: Granderson (106)
Leaders on the mound (2012 - current members)	Leaders on the mound (2012 - current members)
Wins: Buchholz/Doubront  (11)	Wins: Hughes/Kuroda (16)
ERA: Buchholz (4.56) | Tazawa (1.43)	ERA: Pettitte (2.87) |Soriano (2.26)
K's: Doubront (167)	K's: Sabathia (197)

Last time

The Red Sox were swept in New York to close out the season. New York out-scored the Sox 28-7 in the final series for the final kick in the nuts. 

This time

Laser Show: Jackie Bradley Jr.

One of the hottest bats in the spring and everyone is pretty high on him. I doubt he will continue the tear that he was on in Ft. Myers, but I feel he is going to kick off the regular season on a hot streak.

Pitch Around: Kevin Youkilis

It is pretty weird putting Youk's name in this category, especially in a Yankees series. He is the only dominant, or sort of dominant, bat in the lineup. The Yankees are stretched thin and Youk is their biggest threat, for now.

Don't Fall Behind: CC Sabathia

For obvious reasons. 

How we see it goin' down

Everyone, or almost everyone, is pretty low on the Sox to start the season.Who can blame them? The Yankees are in a terrible situation, plagued with injuries and age, giving the Sox the upper-hand to kick off the 2013 season. I may be too optimistic, though I feel a 2-1 series win for the Sox. All they need to do is get at least one win in the first series to regain some respect.