OK, maybe it's too soon to assume Boston's losing ways are over. After all, the Sox are playing at home with their friendly Green Monster, and the Tigers have gotten two straight extremely sub-par pitching performances. Still, the Nation can only hope.
When and Where
7:10 p.m., ET (NESN), Aug. 12, 2009
Fenway Park, Boston, Mass.
Records
Boston Red Sox (64-48, 2nd place in AL East; 1st in AL wild card)
Detroit Tigers (59-53, 1st in AL Central)
Skinny
The Sox have won six straight games over the Tigers dating back to May 8, 2008. If only they could play Detroit every day. Boston's offense has proved that the bats can heat up any second and go completely cold the next. But over the past two games, there's been one element of continuity: As Jason Bay goes, so goes the Red Sox offense. Bay's homered in two straight games and the Sox are 2-0 in the meantime.
Starting Lineups
| Tigers |
Red Sox |
| Curtis Granderson, CF | Jacoby Ellsbury, CF |
| Placido Polanco, 2B | Dustin Pedroia, 2B |
| Clete Thomas, LF | Jason Bay, LF |
| Marcus Thames, DH | David Ortiz, DH |
| Carlos Guillen, 1B | Mike Lowell, 3B |
| Magglio Ordonez, RF | J. D. Drew, RF |
| Alex Avila, C | Casey Kotchman, 1B |
| Brandon Inge, 3B | Jason Varitek, C |
| Adam Everett, SS | Nick Green, SS |
Pitching Matchup
RHP Armando Galarraga (6-10, 5.23 ERA) vs. RHP Josh Beckett (13-4, 3.12 ERA)
Most likely, Galarraga won't be making a start for Detroit on Wednesday. Manager Jim Leyland acknowledged that the righty has been battling an illness and was sent back to the team hotel on Tuesday shortly after arriving at Fenway Park. "He's sick as a dog," Leyland told Mlive.com. "I hope he's able to go. I hope I don't have to make a spot start."
A spot start could be devastating to the Tigers bullpen, which had to compensate on Tuesday for the second-inning ejection of starter Rick Porcello. Still, in the event that Galarraga miraculously recovers, the situation may not be much better for the Tigers. He has failed to reach the end of the sixth inning in both of his last two outings, and in his last start against the Twins, he almost got knocked out in the second inning before rallying to get through five frames.
As the Sox look to ride a two-game winning streak, there's no one they'd rather have on the mound than Beckett, who held the Yankees scoreless through seven innings in his last start. One outing before that, he did the same thing to the Orioles' feisty lineup. At Fenway Park in 2009, Beckett is 7-0 with a 2.58 ERA in 10 starts.
Stat Sheet
Red Sox
The Red Sox are 37-17 at home in 2009, good for the second-best mark in the majors behind the Yankees (39-18).
Boston's .311 home average since July 11 (prior to Tuesday's game) is the best in the majors.
Since 2003, the Sox are 36-15 against Detroit.
Over their last four games (not including Tuesday), Boston's starters have posted a 2.08 ERA while holding batters to a .228 average.
Mike Lowell, who entered Tuesday's game in the second inning after Kevin Youkilis was ejected for charging the mound, homered twice to lead the Sox to victory.
Jacoby Ellsbury stole his 52nd base of the season on Tuesday night, tying Tris Speaker's mark for the second-most steals in a season in franchise history.
Both Nick Green and Dustin Pedroia homered in Monday's win over Detroit, marking the first time the Red Sox got homers from both middle-infield positions since August 1, 2006.
Tigers
Entering Tuesday's game, Curtis Granderson's 16 home runs on the road led the majors.
Placido Polanco extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a 1-for-5 performance on Tuesday.
Prior to Tuesday, Polanco's .448 clip with runners in scoring position was third-best in the American League.
Hurler Brandon Lyon has not allowed a run in his last 11 appearances, spanning 12.2 innings. In his last 25 outings, he is 4-1 with a 0.82 ERA, and his opponents are hitting a meager .164 against him.
Slugger Magglio Ordonez entered Tuesday's game with a .347 career average against Boston, with 28 doubles, a triple, 14 homers and 58 RBIs in 84 games.
The Tigers have thrown out 35 percent of base-stealers in 2009 (prior to Tuesday's game), the second-best mark in the league.
Black and Blue
Red Sox
Shortstop Jed Lowrie was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Aug. 7 due to numbness in his left forearm. He was diagnosed with nerve irritation on Tuesday and could return to the team before the end of the season.
Rocco Baldelli is on the 15-day DL with a left ankle bruise. The outfielder fouled a ball off his ankle during batting practice late last week.
Catcher George Kottaras was placed on the 15-day DL on July 30 with a lower back strain. He is scheduled to catch Tim Wakefield in Triple-A Pawtucket on Saturday.
Wakefield is currently sidelined with a lower back strain. He will start in Triple-A Pawtucket on Saturday, and if all goes well, he could r+ejoin the rotation next week.
Daisuke Matsuzaka is currently conducting throwing exercises as he prepares to return from a right shoulder injury. He threw 40 pitches off the mound on Tuesday, and on Friday, he'll throw 55 pitches, incorporating his off-speed stuff. He will throw a third session of 65 pitches on Monday.
Tigers
Reliever Joel Zumaya is set to undergo season-ending surgery to remove the bone fragment from a stress fracture in his ailing right shoulder.
Rookie starting pitcher Alfredo Figaro has been on the 15-day DL since June 28 with a sprained right wrist.
Pitcher Nate Robertson hasn’t pitched since June 26 due to elbow surgery. Robertson has been rehabbing in Triple-A Toledo.
This Date in Red Sox History
The Red Sox set the American League record for consecutive home victories with their 23rd straight win on August 12, 1988.
Overheard
“I definitely regret it. It’s on TV and kids see it . . . It just happened so fast. You don’t realize what you’re doing. I guess they’re saying it got the team going, but hopefully I’ll never have to get a team going like that. Hopefully, it’s the last time it will happen.
–Kevin Youkilis tells The Boston Globe's Dan Shaughnessy about charging the mound in the second inning Tuesday
Press Box
Red Sox
The sputtering Red Sox shift into gear at Fenway Park.
The Tigers and the Red Sox clear the benches during a second-inning brawl.
Tim Wakefield is set to pitch for Pawtucket on Saturday.
Tigers
Magglio Ordonez is finally hitting again.
Special offer for Tigers fans: Games will be shown OnDemand.
Galarraga's Wednesday start is in question.
MLB
Ben Francisco's 12th-inning homer lifts the Phillies over the Cubs on the eve of Pedro Martinez's first start of 2009.
Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada jack solo shots to lift New York over Toronto.
Aaron Laffey and the Indians shut down the Rangers.
Outlook
A team that looked dead two days ago is suddenly showing signs of life. Can the Red Sox hit anywhere except Fenway Park? Maybe not. Can they hit any time Jason Bay needs to rest his sore hamstring? Maybe not. But right now, it doesn't matter, because things are clicking, the Monster is out there in the distance, and Bay is playing underneath it. Boston needs to take advantage of a tired Tigers pitching staff and earn a third straight win to continue narrowing its deficit in the American League East, while widening its wild card margin.
