Winning is different than losing.
Winning teams catch the breaks. Winning teams get bloop-single game-winning RBIs. Winning teams get saves from 42-year-old relief pitchers with 9.00 ERAs entering the game. Winning teams have managers who make lineup and pitching decisions that make their fans cringe at first but cheer in the end.
The Boston Red Sox were a winning team yesterday. They enter today tied for the lead in the AL East with the powerful, young Rays.
But today, Josh Beckett pitches for Boston.
Josh Beckett is only 4-3. Don't let those numbers fool you. Josh Beckett leads his team with 47 strikeouts despite being tied for last in innings pitched among the starting rotation. Josh Beckett is a World Series MVP and a League Championship Series MVP. Josh Beckett led his league in wins last season. Josh Beckett finished second in Cy Young Award voting last year, and if the voters could vote with the hindsight they have today he would have easily been considered the best starting pitcher in the American League. Daisuke Matsuzaka is 7-0, and Tim Wakefield is a grizzled, unflappable veteran of almost two decades of major league baseball. Josh Beckett is considered by all to be the ace of the staff.
After Josh Beckett throws his 100-odd pitches, expect to see Chris Smith come out of the bullpen. Chris Smith is off to a great start in AAA Pawtucket, posting a 1.45 ERA in four starts and six relief appearances. Smith is no longer considered a great prospect, but he's demonstrated that he's ready to contribute at the MLB level with his superb work in Pawtucket, and he'll be needed given that every healthy relief pitcher had to throw last night. From SoxProspects:
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Scouting Report: Average 88-92 mph fastball with a power breaking curve and a pretty good change-up. Good knowledge of pitching. Shows starter potential, but may need to add some speed to his fastball to compete at MLB level. Missed most of 2002 season after an ATV accident, from which he took a couple years to recover fully. Great preparation skills. Throws off-speed pitches for strikes, often at unexpected counts. Pounds the strike zone with great command, doesn't walk many batters. Works quickly on the mound. Similar style to Mike Mussina or Greg Maddux. Converted to a part-time reliever in 2007 where he demonstrated some good success, particularly against left-handed batters.
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http://www.soxprospects.com/players/smith-chris.htm
There are no notable batter vs. pitcher splits, except that Jason Kendall and Mike Cameron can't hit Beckett and that Hardy, Hall and Weeks have done well in very small samples (12 AB total for the three). Look to see if Manny plays after being hit by a pitch in the first game yesterday.
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Game time: 1:35 EDT
Current weather: 66 degrees, fair, wind blowing out at 7mph.
Pitchers:
Boston
Josh Beckett
RHP
(4-3) 4.21 ERA
Milwaukee
Carlos Villanueva
RHP
(2-4) 6.00 ERA