It’s almost here, people. Just be patient and enjoy the Red Sox’ final exhibition game of the season, a Saturday tilt with Washington in the nation’s capital.
While the environment will pale in comparison to Sunday night at Fenway, the importance of the affair is not lost on two of Boston’s starting pitchers.
Tim Wakefield will make his final tuneup before a regular season debut one week later in Kansas City. When the knuckleballer is through, we will see Daisuke Matsuzaka one more time before he begins a minor league rehabilitation assignment expected to last three starts.
The Sox finalized their 25-man roster on Friday by announcing that Scott Schoeneweis earned the final spot. But several players bound for minor league assignments will still travel with the team.
WHEN AND WHERE
HEAD TO HEAD
Backed by Clay Buchholz‘s solid six innings on Friday, the Sox finished their month at City of Palms Park with a 7-2 win over the Nationals. It was their first meeting of the spring.
Boston won two of three games in Nationals Park last season.
PITCHING MATCHUP
At 43, Wakefield has had one of his smoothest springs, earning the fourth spot in the rotation. With a week to go before his opener, he will get in a solid day of work before yielding to Matsuzaka and others.
Wakefield’s home opener is slated for April 16 against Tampa Bay.
Stammen is expected to open the season with the big club as a starting pitcher.
LINEUPS
Red Sox
Jacoby Ellsbury LF
Dustin Pedroia 2B
Victor Martinez C
Kevin Youkilis 1B
David Ortiz DH
Adrian Beltre 6
J.D. Drew, RF
Mike Cameron, CF
Marco Scutaro SS
Nationals
Nats lineup will be posted once it becomes available.
STAT SHEET
- Dustin Pedroia, Victor Martinez and Kevin Youkilis, the projected 2-4 hitters in the Boston lineup, are each hitting at least .340.
- Martinez has struck out once in 53 at-bats.
- Right fielder J.D. Drew is 7-for-44 (.167) with just three RBIs this spring.
- Adam Dunn, who has hit at least 38 home runs in each of the past six seasons, has zero in 46 spring at-bats.
- Outfielder Justin Maxwell is 5-for-50 (.100) with 21 strikeouts.
- Jason Bergmann is 2-0 despite giving up 20 hits in 9 2/3 innings.
BLACK AND BLUE
- Outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury returned on Friday from a three-game layoff due to a sore arm.
- First baseman Kevin Youkilis played for the first time Friday since fouling a ball off his right knee earlier in the week.
- Outfielder Jeremy Hermida took some at-bats at the minor league complex on Friday. He has missed nearly a week with a tight right hamstring.
- Former Yankees starting pitcher Chien-Ming Wang threw a bullpen session recently as part of his recovery from torn shoulder cartilage. He is expected to miss about two months.
OUTLOOK
The Red Sox have said throughout the spring that it’s all about getting to the regular season healthy. They have one more game before being able to declare that an accomplished goal.
Expect to see plenty of minor leaguers after a few innings as the game plays out, with an eye toward Sunday night, at home, under the lights, against the hated Yankees.
It’s almost here, people.
