Master-Ful

The Red Sox have been hit pretty hard with the flu. Both Josh Beckett and Daisuke Matsuzaka missed starts due to the illness. Captain Jason Varitek also missed playing time. Filling in Beckett's start was David Pauley, best known for his stellar start at Yankee Stadium in 2006. Pauley gave up 5 runs through 4.1 innings, but that was enough to keep the Sox in the game.

Daisuke Matsuzaka was scheduled to pitch the next day, but was also scratched with the flu. Jon Lester pitched on 3 days rest for the first time in his career, and gave up 4 through 5 innings. The bullpen and the bats couldn't get it going, and the Sox win streak was snapped.

Filling in Lester's spot today was Justin Masterson, making his major league debut. Masterson went 6 innings, giving up one run, two hits, and four walks while fanning 4. This bodes well for the Sox, as it never hurts to have too many effective young relievers. Unfortunately for Masterson, the bullpen could not hold the lead. He'll have to wait until his next start to get a chance at a win.

4/11 Clay Buchholz vs Chien-Ming Wang

In what looks to be a very soggy series, the olde towne team plays their first game against the Yankees of '08 at Fenway tonight. Buchholz had a rough first start, getting touched for 4 runs in 5 innings of work. Wang, the Yanks' ace, won both of his starts this year. Wang has held opponents to only two runs through 13 innings, looking very strong so far.

Mike Lowell is headed to the DL after spraining his thumb in Wednesday night's game against the Tigers. Youkilis is moving across the diamond to cover him at third, and "The Mayor" Sean Casey will be filling in at first base. Infield prospect Jed Lowrie has been called up to fill Lowell's roster spot.

Derek Jeter is out of the Yanks lineup, with the possibility of A-Rod moving to short if the problem proves to be a long-term one. Dealing with an ailing Jeter and Posada has made the Yankees jumble around the lineup-Hideki Matsui got his first start in right field since 2005 last night, and Jorge Posada got the start at DH.

Tonight's Attendance... C. 39,988

Fenway park got a mini facelift in the offseason. Previous years saw the creation of the Right Field Roof Deck, the Green Monster Seats, the highly underrated Pavilion box/club areas... and this year is no different. The Coca-Cola corner section adds more seating where the boxy left field luxury suites used to reside. In addition, the old bleacher seats have been torn out and replaced with new, more comfortable ones. An added bonus is that these new bleachers will allow for more seats in general in the section.

Again, the Sox have done a terrific job adding new things to the park and making them look like they were always there.

First pitch at the Rogers Centre is at 7:05pm tonight.

4/4 Tim Wakefield vs Shaun Marcum

by Dan C.

The Red Sox are coming off an impressive 5-0 victory and 3-1 series win over the Oakland Athletics that took a week and two countries to complete but they now look to take an early lead in the AL East by taking another series against their interdivision opponents north of the border. In Friday’s match up the Sox will send veteran knuckleballer Tim Wakefield to the mound for his first start of the 2008 season. This is Wakefield’s 14th season with the club and he’s coming off a career high 17 win year.

The Blue Jays are coming off a series vs. the New York Yankees and will hand the ball to RHP Shaun Marcum. Marcum, in his third year as a starting pitcher, logged a career high 159 innings last season and was able to win 12 games which was also a career high. One of his biggest problems is he throws too many strikes. With a low walk total, hitters know the ball is going to be around the plate and go up there hacking. He allowed 27 HR’s last year and needs to improve that stat if he hopes to stay in the Jays starting rotation for a full season.

Wakefield has historically pitched very well inside of a dome but with the knuckleball you never really know what you’re going to get. The key for both pitchers will be to try and limit the long ball while hoping their offense can put up some early runs that they can protect.

It's a Bad Time to Be a Closer

Well, there are a couple exceptions (Papelbon and Rivera seem to be in good shape).

There were a total of 8 opening day blown saves (1 of which fell on Cards reliever Ryan Franklin before the 9th inning, and two other choke-jobs that do not statistically figure as BS's), and even more since then. Some of the victims:

Huston Street - The first to go. Street blew a one-run lead in the 9th inning while most Red Sox fans were rolling into work. Street looked similarly terrible being thrown into the following game in a non-save situation.

Eric Gagne - Eric sure looked like 2007 Gagne, serving up a game-tying homer to Kosuke Fukudome in his first MLB game. The Brew Crew managed to mop up the mess and get him his BS win.

Kerry Wood - On the other end of the Eric Gagne debacle. Wood did not technically blow a save while giving up three runs to the Brewers, but he sure blew the game.

Trevor Hoffman - One of the latest victims. Lance Berkman laced a 3-run homer to put the Astros ahead of the Padres.

Matt Capps - Damaso Marte and Matt Capps blew a 5 run lead to the Braves.

J.J. Putz - Putz sustained a ribcage injury and gave up a home run to new Ranger Josh Hamilton all at the same time. DL time!

Tom Gordon - Gordon surrendered 5 runs while getting just one out. Gordon was pitching in place of the still-rehabbing Brad Lidge.

Brandon Lyon - Edwin Encarnacion hit a three-run walkoff home run off of Lyon on Wednesday.

Peter Moylan - Ryan Zimmerman hit a walk off against Braves' sidearm-righty Peter Moylan.

Bad times for many fantasy owners.

4/2/08 - Jon Lester vs Rich Harden

by Dan C

Jon Lester will take the hill for the Red Sox following up an impressive pitching performance by fellow staffer Dice-K Matsuzaka. Matsuzaka allowed only 2 hits through 6 and 2/3 innings of work, walked none and stuck out 9 Athletics. He looked much sharper then his opening day start in Japan where he had control problems and had to pitch out of two bases loaded jam situations early on. Lester did not look bad in his start last week but served up a 3-run homer to Emil Brown that was be enough damage to hand him the loss.

For the Athletics, Rich Harden looks to repeat his strong opening performance in which he allowed 1 run on 3 hits over 6 innings of work. Harden, who missed the majority of the 2007 season due to injury, will be trying to surpass his win total of last year with tonight’s outing.

The key for both pitchers will be to throw strikes early on to establish the strike zone, not allowing hitters to sit back and wait for lower 90’s fastballs. Harden needs to mix in his curve, while Lester will showcase a strong changeup.

OT: Vince Young Ruins The Bell Curve

When Vince Young left the University of Texas early, he made a decision to come back and finish his schooling when he had a chance between seasons. This year, Young changed his major to Education and Child Development, and resumed his schooling. An acquaintance of mine is a TA for his intro to psych class, and witnessed class clown Vince Young in action.

So I am a TA for a huge 275 member intro psych class. Today we were talking about motivation, and the professor presented a slide showing the results of an experiment in which men and women's responses (yes or no) were tallied after a person of the opposite gender approached them on the street randomly and asked for either a date, to come back to their apartment, or for sex. The results showed that in this study 50% of men and 50% of women said yes to the date, 75% of men said yes to the apartment but only like 5% of women, ad 100% of men said yes to sex but 0% of women did. We were all pondering the results when...

Vince Young is in my class. He raised his hand and said very seriously, "that study's a lie" and at first everyone was like huh? Then we realized who it was talking (he is like a super multi-millionaire quarterback for an NFL team, like 6'5", totally built, etc).

Everyone DIED.

This is serious Urban Legend material.

4/01/08 Daisuke Matsuzaka vs. Joe Blanton

In a repeat of the true season opener in Japan on Wednesday, the Sox and A's kick off the "domestic" version tonight at the McAffee Coliseum. Daisuke started off the previous game looking lost, but gained confidence (and more importantly, control) as the game went on. Blanton seemed just the opposite, throwing 5 dominant innings only to give up 3 in the sixth. Huston Street started an opening day closer implosion trend, followed by Tom Gordon, Eric Gagne, and Kerry Wood. While he did not outright lost his role as closer, he's likely on thin ice after blowing an opportunity on Wednesday.

JD Drew should be back in the lineup, no word yet on Coco vs Ellsbury in center. Bobby Kielty is likely to start 2008 in the minors, expected to be a bench option if any injuries occur.