Let's be optimistic: This could be a defining series for the home side. The Jays, winless at home and having played a dispirited first dozen games of the season, catch a Boston club that might be poised for a letdown after their rousing four-game set with the hated Yankees. Obviously, the Jays need to simply perform better in all areas of the game if they want to get their season back on track. But from where I sit, I'd be encouraged if they rediscovered their mental edge this series -- a little Fighting Jays spirit could go a long way.
We have a special guest author for today's Advance Scout: Tim Daloiso of the Red Sox Times. His intelligent (and stylish) site is a must-read if you like your Red Sox updates served up with a bit of progressive politics for good measure. Thanks, Tim!
On to the Advance Scout!
* Coming off an uplifting series against the New York Yankees, the Sox look to avoid a letdown in Toronto this week ... And what better way to fight the Yankee hangover than throwing an angry Pedro Martinez -- still smarting from his five-inning, seven-run performance in an extra-inning loss to the Orioles last Thursday night? ... Pedro with something to prove is not a pretty sight for the Batter's Box. Over the past two years, every time Pedro has been touched for more than five runs in a start, his next outing has been, well...Pedro-like.
4/1/2002, TOR, L 12-11, 3 IP, 9 H, 8 R, 2 BB, 4 K
4/7/2002, @BAL, W 4-1, 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 K
4/13/2002, NYY, W 7-6, 5.1 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 7 K
4/19/2002, @KC, W 4-0, 8 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K
5/7/2002, @OAK, W 9-7, 4.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 5 K,
5/12/2002, @SEA, W 10-4, 8 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 12 K
4/12/2003, BAL, L 13-6, 4.1 IP, 9 H, 10 R, 4 BB, 5 K
4/17/2003, TB, W 6-0, 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K
5/9/2003, @MIN, L 5-0, 5 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 4 K
5/15/2003, TEX, W 12-3, 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K
8/30/2003, NYY, L 10-7, 4 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 0 BB, 3 K
9/5/2003, @NYY, W 9-3, 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 9 K
With the stage set for tonight's battle of the big guns with Pedro taking on Roy Halladay, let's look at the 2004 Red Sox.
* While the injury bug stayed far away from the Red Sox last season, this year it has visited early and often. Nomar Garciaparra and Trot Nixon are still rehabbing their respective injuries. And while news on Trot's herniated disc has been encouraging, as he is taking batting practice in Fort Myers without pain, news on Nomar is all but absent ... His recovery from an Achilles problem has been slow, but Red Sox Nation is still optimistic for an early May return for both after a stint in the minors that should serve as a mini-spring training ...
* Starter/reliever Byung-Hyun Kim has also started the year on the DL and has recently been seen pitching with the Red Sox' Double A affiliate in Sarasota ... After a 30 pitch relief appearance that went well, he will start a game in the minors before a decision on when we might see him with the big club is made. I would expect to see him working out of the Fenway pen in the first week of May ...
* Given the injuries to some key cogs in the Red Sox machine, manager Terry Francona has had to juggle the Red Sox lineup quite often to start the year ... And given the team's three extra-inning games this season, the bullpen usage has been pretty stretched as well ... The Red Sox have already shuffled a few bodies in and out of their roster, especially in the back of their pen, this season. Bobby Jones and Brian Daubach, out....Frank Castillo and Mark Malaska in...Ramiro Mendoza out (DL)...Phil Seibel in...Frank Castillo out...Lenny Dinardo in...and so on and so forth ... The Red Sox pen, which started the season with a dearth of lefthanded pitching, now features four of them: Alan Embree, Malaska, Seibel, and Dinardo ... Embree has been lights out this season, pitching in 8 of the Sox' 12 games and striking out eight in five and two-thirds innings ... Both recent call ups, Malaska and Seibel, have had a good start, pitching ten shutout innings between them ...
* The Red Sox bats are starting to gain a little steam after a slow start ... Batting .259 as a team, the Sox lineup has been lead by Johnny Damon at the top and Manny Ramirez in the middle ... As expected, Manny and David Ortiz lead the team with 10 and 11 RBI's respectively. If Damon and Bill Mueller continue to set the table for these guys, the Red Sox will score some runs ...
* The most amazing statistic of the year so far is 2B Mark Bellhorn's .500 OBP. In 45 plate appearances he has an astounding 15 walks ... Blue Jays pitchers should challenge him with strikes until he proves he can get on base by swinging the bat ...
* Don't be at all suprised to see Cesar Crespo or David McCarty grab a start in one of these games ...
Probable Batting Orders
vs. LH
8 Damon
5 Mueller
DH Burks
7 Ramirez
3 Ortiz
9 Millar
2 Mirabelli (He's Wakefield's caddy for the Wake vs. Lilly matchup)
4 Bellhorn
6 Reese
vs RH
8 Damon
5 Mueller
DH Ortiz
7 Ramirez
3 Millar
2 Varitek
9 Kapler
4 Bellhorn
6 Reese
Pitching Probables
Tuesday: RH Martinez vs. Halladay
Wednesday: RH Wakefield vs. Lilly
Thursday: RH Schilling vs. Batista
Bullpen Usage
Long: Malaska L, Seibel L, Dinardo L
Short: Embree L, Timlin R
Setup: Williamson R
Closer: Foulke R
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20040420021123999