Attention, Yankee ‘friends:’ Yes, the Red Sox lost to the Yankees last night. We know.
The Red Sox and Yankees engaged in a good battle last night. Alas, the Evil Empire came out victorious … but never fear, the days roll on and there’s another game tonight. This game is, in my opinion, the most interesting pitching matchup of the entire season series. It’s Josh Beckett against Roger Clemens, two Texas cowboys slinging the heat from the mound.
The drama of Roger Clemens is well documented. I’m not going to waste time rehashing present history except to say that Roger Clemens is one of the best pitchers of the modern era (and I say one of, because cases can be made for Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Nolan Ryan, etc.) and is a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame. He has 353 career wins, five of them coming this year. He’s struggled in his return to the American League, but still has a solid 4.34 ERA. Many pitchers would kill to have a 4.34 ERA in the American League as a starter (but not Dice-K… his ERA is 3.88).
Ignoring for a second the fact that Clemens was born in Ohio, not Texas, he’s as Texas as they come, and he fits the prototypical Texan (except for the time that he got fat and mailed in the ’95 and then bounced back in his contract year) to a tee: well-built, unflappable demeanor with an ability to bring the heat.
Funnily enough, Clemens is facing someone who is the exact same way as Clemens. We all know who that is: Josh Beckett. Beckett, in his second year in the American League, has so far been worth the price paid to Florida for him (especially when you view Hanley Ramirez as an outfielder, which he will be under two years from now). Beckett has a 16-5 record, the latter tied for the major league lead in wins with Tim Wakefield (!?) and John Lackey. He’s got a 3.21 ERA on the season, an ERA+ of 141, and a WHIP of 1.12, in addition to a scant 10 dingers given up. If you don’t remember (and if you don’t, congratulate yourself), last year, he gave up an astonishing 36 homers in his rude introduction to the junior circuit.
Beckett’s current ERA+ matches that of Roger’s last year in Beantown, when the league disparity was at least equal to each other. It also matches his first introduction to the NL in 2004, when he tore up the NL for a 2.98 ERA. Beckett’s 141 ERA+ is matching up against Clemens’ 99 ERA+ this year. (Beckett had a 92 ERA+ last year.)
I know it sounds like I’m trash-talking Clemens here, but believe me, I’m not. As much as Beckett is outperforming Clemens this year, this is Beckett’s chance to outshine Clemens. Clemens is still the draw, the intimidator. This is Beckett’s chance to prove his label as “the next Clemens,” which many sources have referred to him as. Both pitchers are going to be riding their emotions into this game.
Clemens is going to be facing the team that gave him the chip on his shoulder that he carries to this day. He’s doing so with the Yankees coming off a well-played game after having dropped eight of 14. He’s trying to get the Yankees back into the division talk, and ensure they don’t fall behind the Mariners too much. The season is coming to a close, the margin of error is disappearing. The Yankees need Clemens more than ever now, and he’s going to pitch the hardest he has all year.
Josh Beckett is looking to slam the door on the Yankees’ burgeoning momentum. He’s looking to show them that there is indeed a new world order in 2007: the Red Sox will win the division, and they will do so without a heart-stopping finish. Beckett’s already faced the Yankees twice this year, and he has a 5.54 ERA against them — 13 innings, 17 hits, eight earned runs, five walks, 12 whiffs. Not good enough for Beckett.
Who will win? Time will tell, but the series and the rest of the regular season could easily boil down to the grizzled veteran Texan who has proven time and time again just how good he is against the young, upstart Texan who wants to claim the throne for his own. Both want to taste victory.
Only one will.
As an aside, J.D. Drew (will he ever turn it on?) beat Kevin Youkilis 45 percent to 30 percent to claim the sixth spot in the perfect Red Sox lineup. Varitek checked in at 20 percent, Lugo at six. Who bats seventh? You decide…
