Ozzie Guillen said that the Red Sox would not be mentally prepared for Friday night's clash with his White Sox after the intense series at Yankee Stadium. He was wrong. Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched eight shutout innings while Kevin Youkilis and Jason Bay knocked in three runs each as Boston stomped Chicago, 8-0, in the opener of a three-game set at Fenway Park.
Matsuzaka, who improved to 16-2 with a 2.82 ERA, showed that he can attack hitters, get ahead in counts and pitch deep into a game. Dice-K walked just two batters and 65 of his 104 pitches were strikes. Like Lester, Matsuzaka has an assortment of exceptional pitches. Unlike Lester, the Japanese import has not figured out how to be economical with those pitches and give the Sox at least six innings on a consistent basis. When he does, Boston will have a third ace-caliber starter to accompany Lester and Josh Beckett.
Overall, Dice-K limited the White Sox to no runs and two hits with eight strikeouts over eight innings. Mike Timlin tossed a scoreless ninth to preserve the shutout.
While Matsuzaka kept Chicago's offense quiet, the Red Sox were unable to break open the game against Javier Vazquez until the sixth inning. Boston loaded the bases with no outs in the first after Jacoby Ellsbury walked and Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz singled, but the lone run was plated on a force play grounder from Kevin Youkilis. The Sox had runners in scoring position in the second and third, but didn't score. They added two runs on RBI doubles by Ortiz and Mark Kotsay in the fifth.
An inning later, Vazquez was lifted with two on and two out. Horacio Ramirez walked Ortiz to load the bases, prompting Guillen to call upon D.J. Carrasco, who is one of the team's most reliable set-up men. He hit Youkilis, and then Bay ripped a three-run double off the center field wall, giving Boston a 7-0 advantage. The Sox scored another run in the eighth on an RBI double from Youkilis.
It was an impressive offensive display by Boston. Seven of its 15 hits were doubles. Pedroia was 4-for-4 with a walk, three runs and an RBI. Ortiz was 3-for-4 with a walk, two runs and an RBI. Youkilis, Cora and Varitek each had a double and two hits apiece.
With the win, Boston kept pace with Tampa Bay, which pummeled Baltimore. The Red Sox are 78-56 and will do no worse than hold their 2.5-game wild card lead over Minnesota, which is at Oakland tonight.
As I mentioned in the previous post, Michael Bowden will make his major league debut Saturday night against Mark Buehrle and the White Sox. Originally, David Pauley was slated to make the start, but Pauley will remain in the bullpen and Bowden will get the call.
Also, Sean Casey was placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to August 20, with a stiff neck. It is uncertain how long Casey will be sidelined, but media reports indicate that J.D. Drew had an epidural and his back is feeling significantly better. The Red Sox lineup will get a boost when Drew and Mike Lowell return, as long as they are healthy.
If you haven't already heard, the Sox also called up veteran catcher David Ross, who will be eligible for post-season play. Ross is a solid defensive catcher who has some pop in his bat.
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