Giants fans have long been awaiting the arrival of Madison Bumgarner to add to their already stellar list of pitchers - but the Boston Red Sox will look to spoil his big arrival with a Boston welcome party.
After narrowly avoiding the sweep at the hands of the Rockies, the Boston Red Sox will head further west to try their luck against the Giants.
Both Papelbon and Hideki Okajima’s production have been trending downward over the past few seasons. Okajima’s K/BB ratio has fallen each since he arrived in Boston. He is becoming more of a situational reliever.
The Boston Red Sox will rely on a well-rested Daisuke Matsuzaka to avoid the sweep in his first game back from the DL.
While the Red Sox have traditionally had great success against the National League and it has given fans events like Pedro and Manny's returns to Fenway as well as the ability to see great NL stars like Ubaldo Jimenez and Tim Lincecum, as we power through the grueling stretch of Interleague games one has to ask if the Commissioners' office should be making changes going forward? How do you feel about Interleague Play? Love it, like it or kill it?
Ubaldo Jiminez has been notching a season for the record books in 2010, but the Boston Red Sox will look to John Lackey as they try to rewrite history in the making.
This will be my third 'numbers' article, focusing on long-time former Sox players - from Pedro to Nomar and now to Manny. This, in many ways, is the hardest to write, as Manny is the hardest of those players to encapsulate. I would argue that alongside Pedro and Nomar, no single player is more responsible for the current popularity and success of the Red Sox as Manny Ramirez, and yet very few former players are as reviled and hated. A stunning talent, Manny was just as often a frustrating presence, never quite allowing the kind of iconic treatment other Sox players have received. His relationship with his teammates, the media, and the town itself was often contentious, and his dedication and loyalty were often questionable, but his production was always astounding. His career in Boston highlights a division among fans - would we rather see a successful but unlikeable player, or a mediocre but loyal one? How much do things like morality, kindness, and selflessness matter in modern sports, and to what degree are we viewing Manny's career through those lenses?
After a clean sweep of the Dodgers, the Boston Red Sox look to continue their dominance while the interleague season lasts, sending Jon Lester to the hill against youngster Jhoulys Chacin, who is sporting a cool 4.00 ERA since replacing Jorge de la Rosa in the Colorado Rockies rotation.
