Ah, the Red Sox — or as I call them, the Evil Empire 1A — are on the docket us this weekend. They are currently 3-6 on the season, and are four games out of the division lead in the AL East. Well, Boston has struggled out of the gate, but showed some signs of life this week as Tim Wakefield threw a near no-hitter on Wednesday and they earned a victory.
What concerns me about Boston is not so much their hitting, but pitching. We have to face Brad Penny, Josh Beckett and Jon Lester (Monday’s starter has not been announced) — all in order, and Penny seems to be healthy and throwing heat again, while Beckett and Lester have always done fairly well against Baltimore. While the Red Sox offense isn’t as fearsome as it was since 2008 because of the departure of Manny Ramirez and the decline in David Ortiz’s numbers along with his early season struggles, they are still formidable as you’ve got to contend with the pesky Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Mike Lowell and Jason Bay.
If Boston is on and have regrouped from their West Coast swing, Baltimore may have a hard time with them. The Birds will have to be on their game, the pitchers will need to pitch, and the hitters — our 1-5 hitters have been nothing short of amazing — must have a game plan against some of the better arms in the game.
If we can execute, put some runs on the board, and quiet Boston’s offense, we could at minimum split the series, or take three out of four; however, if the pitching was anything like it was in Texas, it will be ugly.
My Prediction: A split; Orioles win on Friday and Sunday.
Matchups:
- Friday: Jeremy Guthrie (2-0, 2.25) vs. Brad Penny (1-0, 4.50)
- Saturday: Adam Eaton (0-1, 9.00) vs. Josh Beckett (1-1, 3.46)
- Sunday: Koji Uehara (2-0, 7.20) vs. Jon Lester (0-2, 9.00)
- Monday: No announcement
