Are you ready?

[ARod2212]

This has the makings of the most important regular season series, ever. Are you pumped or what? 3 days, 1 division winner and maybe one team goes home.

 

What are you doing for the games? I for one am definitely going out to watch this matchup. Exciting as hell. This is why we watch.

 

Does anyone really think this won't come down to Chacon vs. Arroyo in the Bronx?

[Sizzlin22]

Does anyone really think this won't come down to Chacon vs. Arroyo in the Bronx?

It depends really I'm pretty sure sundays starters are Mussina and Wake? I like our odds in that Saturday Johnson is going for the Yankees so I don't tihnk we'll win that. I'm tihnking we're going to win tonight off of sheer momentum.

 

To me it all really hangs on Saturday's game (assuming we win tonight). If we beat RJ there's no way they beat us in Game 3 with Wakefield on the hill, the Yankees just straight up can't hit him.

 

That being said I do see this going back to the Bronx because I'm not confident at all that we can hit Johnson.

[Johnny_RedSox]

Wake is going saturday not sunday

[ORS]

Pitching matchups

 

Wells vs. Wang

Wake vs. Johnson

Schilling vs. Mussina

 

Wake is going on 3 days rest so that Schilling could get normal rest after the double header.

 

EDIT: Oh yeah, IT'S f***ING ON!

[Sizzlin22]

Wells vs. Wang adv. Wells

 

Wake vs. Johnson adv. Toss up/ slight advantage Johnson

 

Schilling vs. Mussina adv. Schilling (Mussina has pitched liek crap his last 2 or 3 starts).

[BoSox84]

Im pumped for this series, I think the loser stays homes, because I dont belive the white Sox are going to put up tht big of a fight with the Guardians.

[RedSoxRooter]

Does anyone really think this won't come down to Chacon vs. Arroyo in the Bronx?

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. And that's when all hell breaks loose. I could see Wake even coming back on one day of rest to try and help. I am looking at this as a four game series with the Sox hopefully taking 2 this weekend.

 

Here's how I break it down.

 

Tonight could go either way. Both teams could tee off or be kept off ballance. They say Wells is a big game pitcher but he has a bum knee.

 

Tomorrow will be interesting, both Wake and RJ have been lights out.

 

Sunday will be a shootout. Both Moose and Schilling will get knocked around.

 

Monday, if it comes to that, will probably also be a shootout as well.

 

I haven't even given much thought to the wildcard, but I sure as hell don't want to play on Tuesday.

 

No fights please and no dirty plays. I'm tired of that crap.

[RedSoxRooter]

Yikes. http://search.ebay.com/red-sox-tickets_W0QQfromZR8QQfsooZ2QQfsopZ3

[ARod2212]

Wake historically on 3 days rest is not up to snuff. I think we'll hit him around pretty good. Johnson in this Saturday's start is going to be Randy Johnson. He gets pumped up and nasty, it'll be mighty tough to scratch a run off him. If it comes down to Chacon pitching on Monday, I'll put it in his hands over Arroyo. Chacon has been dominant. He strung together 17 consecutive scoreless innings (against those pesky Blue Jays, and the first inning of his Baltimore start). Arroyo is hittable, and if I remember correctly his last start was none too impressive.

 

And going to tonight, if Wang is healthy (96 on the radar gun?) and locating you guys are screwed. His sinker is deadly, Kevin Brown good days-esque. Boomer is hurting, and while I won't put a great start past him, he has used excuses like that in the past (2003 WS). I really think this is over before Sunday. History of course says, we'll be playing on Monday.

 

Mussina and Schilling is really a crap shoot. Either guy can throw 7 scoreless, or be out in the 3rd inning. But we'll get there when we get there.

[SchillingIsTheNatural]

Wells vs. Wang adv. Wells

 

Wake vs. Johnson adv. Toss up/ slight advantage Johnson

 

Schilling vs. Mussina adv. Schilling (Mussina has pitched liek crap his last 2 or 3 starts).

 

First thing I will say....this is the opportunity for Wells to show Boston he is truely a big game pitcher cause if we lose the first game, we would really have our backs to the wall. I do think Wells would have a small advantage because of his experience and the fact I'll be at the game making Wang's life a living hell.

 

Wake will put up a strong performance but we suck against lefty pitching and it so happens Johnson is on fire lately....not a good game for the Sox...advantage is Johnson

 

Schilling has sucked this year with the exception of the one game against the Yanks. Mussina has sucked all year against the Red Sox....what a toilet match....which beat up old man will show up? your guess is as good as mine.

 

Overall advantage......Fenway Park will be rocking for this which is an obvious advantage. Bullpen matchup has to go to the Red Sox though. Hopefully Papelbon will continue to show up and be the "x" factor. Yanks strategy needs to get ahead early and often and not pitch to Ortiz when the game counts. Basically I think this comes down to which team can get the other teams starter out quickly. Whoever is forced to go to the bullpen early is at a disadvantage.

[ORS]

Wake historically on 3 days rest is not up to snuff.

The last time he started on 3 days rest in a really meaningful game was Game 4 of the 2003 ALCS. 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 8 K ain't too shabby. He's been solid as a rock lately too. Saturday will be a pitching duel.

 

Wang throwing 96? Yeah, occassionally, but he's pretty consistent in the 90-93 range, which isn't bad. However, if I'm a Yankee fan, I'm a little nervous about sending a kid with 16 career starts out to the bump in a game of this magnitude. His 3.5K/9IP wouldn't inspire a lot of confidence either. That's a lot of balls in play. At Fenway Park.

 

But, as we've all seen, this pronostication is pretty worthless when it comes to these two teams. Not many thought '03 would go to the Yankees with Pedro on the hill in game 7. Just like not many thought the Sox would recover from 3 down last year.

 

Strap on your helmets.

[riverside sluggers]

as well as didnt analysts, yankee and sox fans alike all agreed that derek lowe would be very hittable and such? no he stepped it up when the pressure came on

[CalvnHobs6]

UMMMMMM FIVE HOURS. Pinch me.

[Lightsout42]

Bullpen goes to the sox? Both are terrible but the Yanks have the ultimate weapon. Mo.

 

I know you guys are going to say he's blown alot of games vs sox but the real MO is back and I think we'll see it this weekend.

 

But, it's going to be a great weekend for baseball. I wish I was up in Boston to watch these games live but I guess sitting here in NY is still good.

 

Anyway, let the best team win.

[AlexanderTheGreat13]

The last time he started on 3 days rest in a really meaningful game was Game 4 of the 2003 ALCS. 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 8 K ain't too shabby. He's been solid as a rock lately too. Saturday will be a pitching duel.

 

Wang throwing 96? Yeah, occassionally, but he's pretty consistent in the 90-93 range, which isn't bad. However, if I'm a Yankee fan, I'm a little nervous about sending a kid with 16 career starts out to the bump in a game of this magnitude. His 3.5K/9IP wouldn't inspire a lot of confidence either. That's a lot of balls in play. At Fenway Park.

 

I was at Wang start against the Cubs on a staurday afternoon and he was throwing nothing but 95 MPH. I'm also not nervous about sending this kid out there because he has an excellent makeup. If he fails it wont be because he was scared. If your a pitcher that doesnt K anybody but your a flyball pitcher then I would be worried. In his last 2 starts Wang has only given up 2 fly ball outs. Keep the ball on the ground in Fenway and you should be fine. Whats his GB/FB ratio? I cant find it on espn for some reason.

[SchillingIsTheNatural]

Bullpen goes to the sox? Both are terrible but the Yanks have the ultimate weapon. Mo.

 

I know you guys are going to say he's blown alot of games vs sox but the real MO is back and I think we'll see it this weekend.

 

I don't wanna hear anymore Rivera crap...the Red Sox could care less about his resume. I don't picture this team as giving a care who is pitching....BJ Ryan has been one of the best closers this year....big deal....we hit him hard twice this year. Rivera may be the best closer of all time....whatever we have seen him enough to know we can beat him. By the way...Mike Timlin has had a great season.....

 

whoever goes into the last inning with a lead obviously has an advantage no matter if its Timlin or Rivera. We have the advantage cause Papelbon is for real while Gordon has looked shaky at times. Sturtze is no sure thing either where the Sox have quietly put together a couple nice situational guys in Bradford and Myers while the Yanks are stuck with Embree....

 

The one big advantage the Yanks would have in the bullpen is Aaron Small....but he pitched last night

[AlexanderTheGreat13]

I don't wanna hear anymore Rivera crap...the Red Sox could care less about his resume. I don't picture this team as giving a care who is pitching....BJ Ryan has been one of the best closers this year....big deal....we hit him hard twice this year. Rivera may be the best closer of all time....whatever we have seen him enough to know we can beat him. By the way...Mike Timlin has had a great season.....

 

whoever goes into the last inning with a lead obviously has an advantage no matter if its Timlin or Rivera. We have the advantage cause Papelbon is for real while Gordon has looked shaky at times. Sturtze is no sure thing either where the Sox have quietly put together a couple nice situational guys in Bradford and Myers while the Yanks are stuck with Embree....

 

The one big advantage the Yanks would have in the bullpen is Aaron Small....but he pitched last night

If your minimizing Mariano Rivera you are making a mistake.

[See Red]

If your minimizing Mariano Rivera you are making a mistake.

 

No... he's saying that if you go into the 9th inning with a lead, you already have an advantage anyway. I could say the same thing in that if you're minimizing this Sox lineup, no matter who's on the mound, you are making a mistake.

[yankeessuck013]

As my mom says, "I was Born Ready"

 

and for the games i'll probably go to Tully's (sports bar/restaraunt here in Syracuse) with my friends (some red sox/some yankees)

[SchillingIsTheNatural]

As my mom says, "I was Born Ready"

 

and for the games i'll probably go to Tully's (sports bar/restaraunt here in Syracuse) with my friends (some red sox/some yankees)

 

I USED TO WORK AT TULLY'S!!!!!

 

...the one in Rochester, NY though....good place to watch a game....sooo many TVs and awesome food.....

 

Good Choice

[sarasoxfan]

I am going crazy waiting for the game--this is amazing.

I cant even get into this debate about Mo..I'm too geared up to argue. I feel like I'm going off to war. If I see a yankee fan between now and the game I would probably vomit right in their face. It would be an improvement. f***, I HATE THE YANKEES.

we gotta win, go boomer, go sox.

 

 

'

[Soxfan1]

The drama is huge. Wells goes to beat his former team. Johnson trys to reach expectations of ny. Schilling, Well its schilling you know what its about.

[ORS]

Wang's GO/FO is 2.97 per mlb.com. They list it as GO/AO, which I assume means ground-out to air-out.

 

link

[sarasoxfan]

um, red seat where did that obscure stat come from..

and why?

come on, pull yourself together -

focus...

 

there who sucks?

who's going to sweep?

 

there you're okay now.

[yankees228]

One Red Seat, in game 4 of the 2003 ALCS Wakefield was pitching on 4 days resst, not 3. He pitched the first game of the series, a Wednesday, and then he pitched the fourth game on Monday, because it was rained out on Sunday.

[RedRuffing15]

Wang is a groundball pitcher and Fenway is a popfly park, I feel good with Wang out there

 

when wells does good vs the Yankees, he does great, when he does bad, he does horrible, we;'ll know early where this ones going

[yankees228]

The main reason I'm worried about Wang is that the only time he really started a game, on the road, against a great lineup was in St. Louis. He got lit up in that game, (there were a lot of errors) but you could tell he had nothing. I'm hoping that he reputation for being unflappable holds true in this scenario. If he can hold the lead through six innnigs I like the Yanks chances. The best part about the Baltimore series is that the Yanks won 3-4, while Mariano only came in once and threw nine pitches. In my opinion this is such a toss up game that it is hard to predict.

[ORS]

um, red seat where did that obscure stat come from..

and why?

come on, pull yourself together -

focus...

 

there who sucks?

who's going to sweep?

 

there you're okay now.

Someone asked for it on the previous page.

 

I can see why you were concerned though, and thanks for the wake up.

[ORS]

One Red Seat, in game 4 of the 2003 ALCS Wakefield was pitching on 4 days resst, not 3. He pitched the first game of the series, a Wednesday, and then he pitched the fourth game on Monday, because it was rained out on Sunday.

I forgot about the rainout, thanks. I just remembered game 1 and 4, which is usually 3 days rest.

[yankees228]

Has Wakefield ever pitched in a tight spot on 3 days rest before? I think he was on the Pirates when they were really good in the early '90s so maybe he did it then. Anyone know?