Game 1: Daisuke Matsuzaka
Game 2: Josh Beckett
Game 3: Jon Lester
Game 4: Tim Wakefield
Game 5: Matsuzaka
Game 6: Beckett
Game 7: Lester
Thoughts?
I think it’s the right rotation given the way that rest lined up for each person…at the same time, I would have rather (if rest weren’t an issue) gone Lester, DiceK, Beckett, Wake, Lester, DiceK, Beckett.
We saw vs. LAA how getting out in front of the series early can dictate the entire series. It’s on Daisuke to get us out of the gates fast.
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I hope the Sox win in less than seven games, but if it does go to seven, Lester’s the man I’d want to see on the mound. If it doesn’t go seven, then he’s rested for WS Game 1.
As usual, my anxieties lie with Wakefield. I’d much rather see him in the bullpen for middle relief and available for any game, which is presumably the role Byrd will fill.
It is interesting that Wake has done so poorly this year at the Trop, when for his career he’s dominated there.
Shane – I wrote about Wake recent Trop Troubles a little while back – I came to one conclusion: The Rays just got better. Couple that with a few years of seeing the knuckleball and it’s not likely that Wake keeps mowing that team down… Just a theory.
As for the rotation – I like it. Everybody gets the right amount of rest… Lester gets to start at home, Dice-K on the road and as Tessie said, we get Lester in Game 7, if need be… sounds like a winner to me.
“It is interesting that Wake has done so poorly this year at the Trop, when for his career he
What happened with Wake and the Rays is like what happened to Wake and the Yanks back in 2004. At first he was their worst nightmare, then they figured him out. Tampa I think did the same thing.
I’m not the biggest fan of splits, but here’s how our rotation fared versus the Rays this season:
Matsuzaka: 3 games, 15.0 innings, 3.00 ERA, 11 BB, 17 K, .228 BAA
Beckett: 5 games, 35.0 innings, 2.06 ERA, 5 BB, 37 K, .209 BAA
Lester: 3 games, 20.0 innings, 0.90 ERA, 6 BB, 19 K, .240 BAA
Wakefield: 3 games, 15.1 innings, 5.87 ERA, 8 BB, 7 K, .279 BAA
Kind of strange that Wakefield, who has been a lock against Tampa his whole career, should be the one who makes me nervous going against them in this series. At the same time, Paul Byrd didn’t face the Rays this year. The Rays haven’t seen Byrd and won’t be able to run on him the way they will on Wakefield: maybe he would have been a better pick than Wakes to start the middle game of this series. But I guess we’ll never know now.
OT: Anyone else hate Red Sox Century? it is so ridiculously pro-Frazee and pro-New York, I can’t stand it. According to them, Frazee never did anything wrong, even though he sold off every valuable asset on the team (and Fenway Park) for no value, and managed to piss off every other team in baseball.
Stupid.
If Wake gets hit early, Byrd will replace him for long innings, after Lopez is brought in to shut them down. Boy, that should confuse them: Wake’s knucklers, Lopez sidearm, Byrds cleverness, then close with Paps fireballs, all in one game. I like our chances.
@ Sean O, I liked it…
But Evan, you gotta admit the chapter on Frazee is absolutely absurd. Apparently anyone complaining about Frazee trading Schang (a well above average catcher who played for another 2 season) and Hoyte (a 20 year old future HOF) for 4 journeymen was anti-semitic. It’s idiocy.
When the book is written by NY fans, there’s gonna be a problem.
I, obviously, meant to type “12″ more years there.
Gerry, if Wakes get hits early and we have to start digging into our bullpen, we’ve probably already lost Game 3 and given the Rays a great headstart on Game 4.