Game Info
Date: Monday, September 19th, 2005
First Pitch: 7:15 pm ET
TV: NESN
Starting Pitchers:
#30 Mark Henrickson (9-7, 6.04)
#16 David Wells (13-7, 4.35)
Wells looks to get trip started right
Boston (87-62) at Tampa Bay (62-88), 7:15 p.m. ET
The Red Sox open their final road trip of the season Monday night at Tampa Bay.
A pair of left-handers will oppose each other as David Wells goes for Boston while the Devil Rays counter with Mark Hendrickson. The Red Sox have had a great deal of success against the Tampa Bay starter this season.
Hendrickson has faced 23 Boston batters over two starts, with 14 reaching and 11 scoring. Lifetime, the Red Sox are a perfect 5-0 against the southpaw, who has a 12.03 ERA in seven games, including six starts.
Wells is 4-1 in his last five starts, including a win in his last outing at Toronto last Wednesday.
Following three games at Tropicana Field, the Red Sox will have their first off-day since Aug. 22 before opening their final road series of the season in Baltimore.
Pitching matchup
BOS: LHP David Wells
• 13-7, 4.35 ERA in 2005
• 2-0, 2.21 ERA in vs. TB in 2005
TB: LHP Mark Hendrickson
• 9-7, 6.04 ERA in 2005
• 0-1, 30.00 ERA vs. BOS in 2005 WOW
Player to watch
Manny Ramirez is 12-for-23 (.522) lifetime against Hendrickson, with four doubles, two homers and six walks.
Quotable
"We got pounded today, plain and simple. We're not going to sit there and go, 'Oh boy, we're starting a road trip now so we got pounded today so our season's over.' ... This team doesn't do that and we're not about to do that. We've got 13 games left, 13 games, a lot of fun." -- Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek, after Sunday's 12-3 loss
Quick hits
On Sunday, Bill Mueller belted his first homer since Aug. 28, a span of 71 at-bats. It was also Mueller's first RBI in 18 games. He last drove in a run Aug. 30 vs. Tampa Bay. ... The Red Sox are 27 games into a stretch of 30 in a row without a day off. They are scheduled to have an off-day Thursday before opening a three-game series in Baltimore. ... The Red Sox, leading the Majors in several team offensive categories including batting, hits, walks and on-base percentage, have been held to three or fewer runs in their last five home games, the longest such streak since July 16-30, 1978. During that run, the Sox went 3-2. ... The Red Sox have dropped three of their last five games at Fenway.
On deck
• Tuesday: at Tampa Bay, 7:15 p.m. ET
• Wednesday: at Tampa Bay, 7:15 p.m. ET
• Friday: at Baltimore, 7:35 p.m. ET
Originally Posted by YANKEESRULE
