Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim(17-14) @ Boston Red Sox (14-16)
Joel Pineiro(0-0, 1.29) @ John Lackey (2-3, 5.65 )
1:35 PM EDT |Fenway Park (Boston, MA.)
TV: NESN RADIO: WEEI 850, WWZN 1510
INJURY REPORT
Anaheim: Kendrys Morales, broken ankle (Placed on the 15 day DL March 21st); Scott Kazmir, stiff lower back (Placed on the 15 day DL April 8th)
Boston: Dan Wheeler, strained calf (Placed on the 15 day DL May 5th); Bobby Jenks, bicep (Placed on 15 day DL May 5th, retroactive to May 2nd)
GAME NOTES
Just eleven hours since they finished their last game in the early hours of the morning, the Red Sox and Angels face off in an afternoon tilt at Fenway Park. After combining to use fourteen pitchers over a seven hour span, both teams have to be hoping that their starters will go deep into this game. For the Sox, that pitcher will be John Lackey, who comes off a tough luck 2-0 loss to Seattle last Saturday. The Angels counter with former Red Sox, Joel Piniero. He pitched his first game of the season last weekend in Tampa, getting a no decision pitching seven innings of one run ball. After the marathon effort last night, the Sox called up reinforcements for today’s game. Scott Atchinson and Rich Hill got the nod from Pawtucket, replacing Bobby Jenks and Dan Wheeler, who were both placed on the Disabled List this morning. Dustin Pedroia gets his first day off this season after striking out four times last night. Marco Scutaro starts at Second Base, and Carl Crawford fills Pedroia’s customary two-hole in the lineup. Terry Francona and other members of the clubhouse slept at the park last night, and John Lackey looks to make it an easy morning for his manager.
Lineups
Angels
- Erick Aybar, SS
- Howie Kendrick, 2B
- Bobby Abreu, LF
- Torii Hunter, DH
- Alberto Callaspo, 3B
- Vernon Wells, RF
- Mark Trumbo, 1B
- Jeff Mathis, C
- Peter Bourjos, CF
Red Sox
- Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
- Carl Crawford, LF
- Kevin Youkilis, 3B
- Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
- David Ortiz, DH
- Jed Lowrie, SS
- J.D. Drew, RF
- Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
- Marco Scutaro, 2B
Stats
-Dustin Pedroia is mired in a 6 for 50 slump, dropping his average from .333 to .246
-John Lackey has yet to lose to his old squad, going 4-0 with a 2.45 ERA
-The Sox are 18th overall in the Majors with a .248 average, but 9th overall in OBP, posting a .330 mark.
-Carl Crawford, back near the top of the order, is hitting .304/.304/.435 in 23 At Bats against Pineiro.
-Vernon Wells is the only Angel hitter with more than two at bats against Scott Atchinson. He has six and is hitting .333 with one walk.
-Piniero had 31 appearances has a reliever in Boston. He went 1-1 with a 5.03 ERA.
-The Sox have a +1 run differential. 129 runs for and 128 runs against.
-Last night was the 13th time in the past 20 years that the Sox used 8 different pitchers.
How will last night’s marathon affect the game today? Will the Sox come out on top? Let us know in the Comments section and get the discussion going.