Red Sox pitchers had a week to forget on the West Coast, but with three games against Seattle this week and then a homestand against Toronto, Boston's arms have a good chance to get back on track and lead the team to some wins.
Clay Buchholz (11-4, 4.50 ERA) will get the ball Monday night in Seattle, with a chance to forget his last two hiccups — both against the Angels — and do some damage in the American League West. Buchholz has been dominant for much of the season after his treacherous start to the year, but he lost his rhythm against the Angels, giving up a combined 11 earned runs in back-to-back starts.
Jon Lester (8-11, 5.01), who has also patched together a renaissance of some kind in recent weeks, could use a rebound start on Tuesday as well. He pitched a complete game against the Angels last week but allowed nine hits and five earned runs — just a bit too much as the Sox offense faltered. Before that outing, though, he was back to his usual Lester form, with three wins in a row that included just five earned runs as well as 22 strikeouts.
Wednesday night's starter will be Aaron Cook (3-8, 5.35), who struggled against the A's on Friday but was also turning his game around coming into the West Coast swing. After two treacherous outings coming into August, he showed signs of getting back to form throughout the month. But he needs another solid start to prove he's a long-term option for any team.
Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-4, 6.15), who was great against the Royals last week but faltered hard against the A's on Sunday, will also be taking the ball this week, as will Felix Doubront, who just seems to have run out of gas as the season winds down. Also keep an eye out for Daniel Bard, who is back in the relief role where he's done he's pitched very well in recent years..
The Red Sox have the opportunity to grab some wins, but they'll need the pitching to be in line to get it done. Who do you think will be the Amica Pitcher of the Week?