yeszir
08-29-2004, 09:50 AM
Not to steal element's thunder, but I thought I'd start today's game thread, lol.
Tim Wakefield would certainly take the same result, but he probably wouldn't mind changing his route to get there a little bit.
Wakefield, who is 5-1 over his last six starts and will start for Boston against the Tigers on Sunday, tied a modern Major League record on Aug. 8 against Detroit by giving up six home runs, including two each to Ivan Rodriguez and Eric Munson. Still, Wakefield picked up the win as the Red Sox, even with Manny Ramirez out of the lineup with flu-like symptoms, exploded for 14 hits and an 11-9 win.
Wakefield will be opposed by Wilfredo Ledezma, who signed with Boston as a non-drafted free agent on April 3, 1998, tied for the Gulf Coast League Red Sox team lead with five wins in 1999 and remained in the organization until the Tigers selected him in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft on December 16, 2002. Ledezma has allowed just 11 runs in five starts this season and went seven shutout innings in a 3-0 win over the Red Sox on July 13, 2003.
A win would give the Red Sox a four-game sweep of the Tigers, their seventh straight victory at home and their 10th consecutive win over Detroit at Fenway. It would be the Red Sox's sixth consecutive victory overall, 12th in their last 13 games, 15th in their last 18 and 18th in their last 22, and would move them a season-high 23 games over .500.
Having already clinched the series against Detroit, Boston is now 7-1 in series in August, including victories in four straight.
Pitching matchup
BOS: RHP Tim Wakefield
# 10-7, 4.56 ERA in 2004
# 1-0, 12.60 ERA vs. DET in 2004
# 10-8, 4.62 ERA lifetime vs. DET
DET: LHP Wilfredo Ledezma
# 3-1, 3.78 ERA in 2004
# 1-0, 2.16 ERA vs. BOS in 2003
# 1-0, 2.16 ERA lifetime vs. BOS
Players to watch
Bill Mueller is hitting an even .400 over his last 23 games with eight doubles, a triple, a home run, 11 RBIs and 21 runs scored. ... Mark Bellhorn has hit .333 with a triple, five doubles, five RBIs and four runs scored in eight games since returning from the disabled list. ... Dmitri Young is 4-for-11 (.364) with two doubles, an RBI and a run in this series.
Quotable
"This is not a boring clubhouse, a dull clubhouse or dugout. ... I have heard a lot of people from the opposing teams kind of have the same feeling that I used to say when I would look over. They look like they care about each other. They stick together and it's certainly easier to do that when you are winning, but I think we, through the tough times, kind of hung together so we could have these good times." -- Terry Francona
The sox are on the roll of all rolls, hopefully they can keep it up. Its great to hear that the team is having such a fun time, it makes being a fan all the more enjoyable.
Tim Wakefield would certainly take the same result, but he probably wouldn't mind changing his route to get there a little bit.
Wakefield, who is 5-1 over his last six starts and will start for Boston against the Tigers on Sunday, tied a modern Major League record on Aug. 8 against Detroit by giving up six home runs, including two each to Ivan Rodriguez and Eric Munson. Still, Wakefield picked up the win as the Red Sox, even with Manny Ramirez out of the lineup with flu-like symptoms, exploded for 14 hits and an 11-9 win.
Wakefield will be opposed by Wilfredo Ledezma, who signed with Boston as a non-drafted free agent on April 3, 1998, tied for the Gulf Coast League Red Sox team lead with five wins in 1999 and remained in the organization until the Tigers selected him in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft on December 16, 2002. Ledezma has allowed just 11 runs in five starts this season and went seven shutout innings in a 3-0 win over the Red Sox on July 13, 2003.
A win would give the Red Sox a four-game sweep of the Tigers, their seventh straight victory at home and their 10th consecutive win over Detroit at Fenway. It would be the Red Sox's sixth consecutive victory overall, 12th in their last 13 games, 15th in their last 18 and 18th in their last 22, and would move them a season-high 23 games over .500.
Having already clinched the series against Detroit, Boston is now 7-1 in series in August, including victories in four straight.
Pitching matchup
BOS: RHP Tim Wakefield
# 10-7, 4.56 ERA in 2004
# 1-0, 12.60 ERA vs. DET in 2004
# 10-8, 4.62 ERA lifetime vs. DET
DET: LHP Wilfredo Ledezma
# 3-1, 3.78 ERA in 2004
# 1-0, 2.16 ERA vs. BOS in 2003
# 1-0, 2.16 ERA lifetime vs. BOS
Players to watch
Bill Mueller is hitting an even .400 over his last 23 games with eight doubles, a triple, a home run, 11 RBIs and 21 runs scored. ... Mark Bellhorn has hit .333 with a triple, five doubles, five RBIs and four runs scored in eight games since returning from the disabled list. ... Dmitri Young is 4-for-11 (.364) with two doubles, an RBI and a run in this series.
Quotable
"This is not a boring clubhouse, a dull clubhouse or dugout. ... I have heard a lot of people from the opposing teams kind of have the same feeling that I used to say when I would look over. They look like they care about each other. They stick together and it's certainly easier to do that when you are winning, but I think we, through the tough times, kind of hung together so we could have these good times." -- Terry Francona
The sox are on the roll of all rolls, hopefully they can keep it up. Its great to hear that the team is having such a fun time, it makes being a fan all the more enjoyable.