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August 19th vs. New York (AL)

Beckett95
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Beckett95 Salem RidgeYaks

Beckett95

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GAME INFO:

Date: Saturday, August 19th, 2006

First Pitch: 1:20m EST

Location: Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts

TV: FOX

Radio: WEEI 850 AM

 

http://cache.boston.com/bonzai-fba/Globe_Photo/2006/04/11/1144782023_2865-1.jpg VS. http://cache.boston.com/images/bostondirtdogs//Headline_Archives/Randy%20Johnson%20-%20Darth%20Vader.jpg

 

PITCHING MATCHUP:

BOS: RHP Josh Beckett (13-7, 5.02 ERA)

In his last start against Detroit, Beckett allowed five runs and six hits over six innings. He had not walked a batter in his last two starts, but gave free passes to four Tigers. He has not won since July 24 and has not pitched more than six innings in his last five starts. Beckett is 1-1 with a 10.80 ERA against the Yankees this year.

 

NYY: LHP Randy Johnson (13-9, 4.92 ERA)

Johnson recorded strikeout No. 4,500 in a seven-inning win against the Angels in his last start. He allowed eight hits, struck out five and walked just one batter. Johnson has had back-to-back solid outings. He got a win with a two-run, six-inning game against the White Sox on Aug. 9 in which he carried a no-hitter into the seventh.

 

PREVIEW:

Josh Beckett and Randy Johnson are at two very different points in their careers. Johnson, 42, is a five-time Cy Young award winner, having superseded the expectations set for any mortal. The 2001 co-MVP of the World Series, Johnson's career sits largely in the rear-view mirror and his opportunity to earn a second World Series ring is a limited-time offer.

Beckett, 26, has the talent to win five Cy Young awards. So far his career, largely undefined, is a bottle that can be seen as half-empty or half-full. Those who see the optimism would point to his blistering fastball and complete-game shutout on three days' rest in the clinching game of the 2003 World Series at Yankee Stadium. Those on the other side of the spectrum would point to the vacant part of the bottle, representing his unfulfilled potential.

 

However, the majority of pitches that Beckett will throw in his career still have not been fired. His brilliance is apparent, yet often spliced with disappointment, He, too, searches for a second World Series ring, only this time, he doesn't have to lead the pitching staff.

 

Curt Schilling, the ace of the Boston rotation is leading the playoff charge and needs Beckett to be his running mate. History has proven that two dominating pitchers can lead a team to a title. Just ask Johnson and Schilling.

 

"The series will begin and end with pitching. From them to us," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "I think the lineups are too balanced."

 

With the Red Sox and Yankees separated by 3 1/2 games in the American League East, either Beckett or Johnson may get another shot at glory in October, but first, the two will have a showdown in August, as Boston and New York battle in the third game of a five-game series on Saturday afternoon at Fenway Park.

 

"I feel like I spend 99 percent of my day thinking about pitching," Francona said. "We need to throw strikes. That's easier said than done. They're such a good lineup, but if you walk them they become devastating. [it's the] same thing with us. You know you need to throw strikes and get ahead and limit some of the damage they can do."

 

Allowing 26 runs to the Yankees in Friday's doubleheader, the Red Sox need Beckett to meet the preseason expectations that were established when they acquired him from Florida. Beckett has not earned a win in his last four starts, and if that trend should continue, the Red Sox will need the bullpen to shut down the heavily powered Yankees offense.

 

"It would be very beneficial if Beckett went deep into the game," Francona said. "I know there's Randy Johnson and [Curt] Schilling and [Mike] Mussina, but I don't think you're going to see too many complete games. If one team is able to get into the other bullpen early and kind of deplete that bullpen, then that'll be huge. Pitching is the entire key to this series."

 

After Monday's series finale, the Red Sox and Yankees will meet in a four-game series at Yankee Stadium from Sept. 15-17. With the division lead in a constant see-saw, their last regular-season meeting may separate the playoff participant from the spectator.

 

"You start looking ahead and it gets overwhelming. The best way to be good is to try and be good now," Francona said. "If you worry or concern yourself about two days ago or next week, it doesn't help. We need to try and take care of what's at hand. If you do that, then you'll usually look back and thing have worked out okay. [if] you try to prepare for things too much down the road, you forget what you're doing now and it doesn't work too well."

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Beckett95 Salem RidgeYaks

Beckett95

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Sox Lineup

1. Kevin Youkilis, 1B

2. Mark Loretta, 2B

3. David Ortiz, DH

4. Manny Ramirez, LF

5. Javy Lopez, C

6. Mike Lowell, 3B

7. Wily Mo Pena, RF

8. Gabe Kapler, CF

9. Alex Gonzalez, SS

P. Josh Beckett

 

 

Javy Lopex 5th??? <_>

 

he better have good numbers against Unit

SoxFan25 Draft Eligible

SoxFan25

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yesterday was a very disapointing day and its getting harder and harder for me to keep saying to myself "keep the faith, keep the faith" its been a struggle for this team and they just gotta turn the switch on. the pitching is so screwed up and this freakin team cant bring in runners when there in scoring position!!!

hope that today is the day it all turns around.

 

p.s. i havent been posting as much because i got school started, etc. i was gonna start the thread but w/e....hopefully i dont have to make one!

RedSoxRooter Greenville Drive

RedSoxRooter

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Agreed, Tito shouldn't be playing him in a game as important as this.

 

Probably has something to do with how long the games were yesterday (game 2 ended at 1am and it's a day game today) and Coco getting a little banged up on that dive in center last night.

 

I still don't get why Wily Mo's not batting 5th though.

 

Anyway, as usual, this one will come down to how well Beckett pitches.

ORS All-Star

ORS

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http://photos.hotfreelayouts.com/photos/494/rick_james_bitch.jpg

 

Don't suck, Nuke. Do that, we win. We win today, we win tomorrow. We win tomorrow, we have a shot. You are the "future" of this team. Grab the reigns.

Dana Kiecker Draft Eligible

Dana Kiecker

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Ahhhh the writings on the wall.... lets play the kids... here we go...

 

BTW .. it was great to here PGammons on the pregame.. even if he called Stig " Roger"..

ksushi First Round Pick

ksushi

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This already sucks.

The first pitch Beckett threw was a strike whether the ump wanted to call it or not. I'm getting very frustrated with this season.

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