Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim(16-13) @ Boston Red Sox (13-15)
Dan Haren (4-1, 1.23) @ Jon Lester (3-1, 2.52)
7:10 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: None
GAME NOTES
On Sunday the Red Sox faced the reigning American League Cy Young winner. Yesterday they opposed the man who seems poised to win the award this year. Today they match up against a pitcher with a 1.23 ERA. With a win tonight, they will go 3-0 in that stretch. This is the same team that lost consecutive games to Jason Vargas and Doug Fister. Sometimes that’s just the way the game works. The team puts the responsibility of securing that 3-0 mark on the broad shoulders of Jon Lester. Coming off a win in Baltimore and the best April of his career, the lefty looks for his fourth win of the season. The Angels counter with Dan Haren, who comes in with a 4-1 record, and a 1.23 ERA. The Angels are looking to beat the Sox for the first time this season, and only the second time in the last sixteen games. Jacoby Ellsbury, who left the game last night with a bruised knee, is back in the lead off spot. There’s a strong chance that one of the three pitchers the Sox have faced in the past three games will win the American League Cy Young, Lester looks to strengthen his case tonight.
Lineups
*Update*
Kevin Youkilis was scratched due to illness. Jed Lowrie will slide over to third in his place, and Marco Sctuaro will get the start at short.
Angels
- Maicer Izturis, 3B
- Bobby Abreu, DH
- Howie Kendrick, 2B
- Torii Hunter, RF
- Vernon Wells, LF
- Erik Aybar, SS
- Mark Trumbo, 1B
- Jeff Mathis, C
- Peter Bourjos, CF
Red Sox
- Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
- Dustin Pedroia, 2B
- Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
- David Ortiz, DH
- Jed Lowrie, 3B
- J.D. Drew, Rf
- Marco Scutaro, SS
- Carl Crawford, LF
- Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
Stats
-If Lester gets the win tonight, half of his wins on the season will be against the Angels.
-Ortiz has the best numbers against Haren on the team: .350/.409/.900 with 3 home runs in 20 at bats.
-Lester finally broke through in April, posting a 2.52 ERA. He had a combined 4.58 ERA and 3-5 record the past three Aprils.
-Gonzalez has seen Haren the most with 41 plate appearances. He’s hitting .268 against him with 2 home runs.
-Dan Wheeler has allowed 11 runs over 10 innings, certainly not the pitcher the Sox were hoping for.
-Kevin Youkilis has seven RBI’s in his last 19 at bats.
-Lester and Haren matched up against each other just eleven days ago. The Sox won 5-4.
Who do you think comes out of the season with the Cy Young award? One of the pitchers the Sox have seen lately? Lester? Let us know in the Comments section and get the discussion going.