"That's chowdah! Chowdah! Say it right!"
John Farrell and The Red Sox Experience (TM) come into town with a 10-13 record, a mark significantly worse than their 16-7 through 23 games last year. It's only 23 games, but I'm not convinced this Boston squad is quite as strong as their banner team of a year ago. Getting a healthy Victorino back will help and I like Bogaerts a lot, but the dropoff from Jacoby Ellsbury to Jackie Bradley Jr. is like blowing off that three month reservation at the French Restaurant for a cheeseburger at a greasy diner. Maybe that cheeseburger will turn out to be pretty good, but you ain't getting that reservation again.
Anyhow, this is still a good team with a lot of good players who can hurt you, so lets take a looksy:
Pitching Matchups!
Friday: Jake Peavy (0-0, 3.33)-(2013: 12-5, 4.17) v. Mark Buehrle (4-0, 0.64)
Saturday: Clay Buchholz (0-2, 7.71)-(2013: 12-1, 1.74) v. Brandon Morrow (1-1, 5.03)
Sunday: Jon Lester (2-3, 2.67)-(2013: 15-8, 3.75) v. R.A. Dickey (1-3, 5.90)
Player Sure To Be A Thorn For The Jays
Mike Napoli. Big Mike is the only Red Sox regular with an OPS above .800 and he does seem to enjoy punishing us for trading him away (17 career HR versus Toronto) so uh, be careful? Pitchers?
Fun With Numbers
The Red Sox have three relievers out of their bullpen (Uehara, Tazawa, Capuano) who have yet to allow a run this year in 33 combined innings, earned or otherwise. So uh, lets get some early leads? Hitters?
Also, not to join the chorus that seems to love harping on Ryan Goins, but Cincinnati Reds pitchers have more hits so far this season (11) than Goins (8). Reds hurlers are 11-51 (.215), Goins 8-54 (.148). Of course, Mike Leake could probably hit 8th in many major league lineups.
Questions
Can the Blue Jays homemade bullpen stop exploding again? Will Toronto pitchers contain Ortiz/Napoli? Which Red Sox scrub will annoy us with timely hits? (My money is on Brock Holt). How greasy will Clay Buchholz' hair be? Can Jose Bautista show some friggin patience, fer cryin out loud? (sarcasm). How many times will Buck and Tabler say "Boy I tell ya what, these guys just know how to win"? Lets find out.
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20140425125040915