This isn’t Game 7 of the World Series, but today’s pitching match-up might make this the game of the year. I think the picture says it all… but you can click over to Red Sox Chick to see what Beckett thinks of Joba.
You know Captain Kickass will be bringing his A-game tonight with Yankees just 3 games back (2 in the loss column), but Beckett has not been his lights out self as of late. He grabbed an W against the Twins thanks to an offensive outpouring, but he gave up 5 runs on 8 hits and 2 walks in that outing. He followed that up with 8 innings in Anaheim, but gave up 9 hits and 4 runs, despite fanning 6, and took the loss… maybe the Sox should have saved a few of the 18 runs from the Twins game…The good news is, Beckett is 5-1 at home this year and 7-3 against the Yankees in 11 career starts. The bad news is the Yankees have won 6 games in row.
Joba Chamberlain is just 1-1 since he was converted to a starter, but he’s averaging just 1.6 runs allowed per start. He’s also averaging 6.4 K’s per start and has 17 in his last two games.
The last time Joba saw the Sox he gave up 3 runs on 4 hits and 4 walks over 6 innings. Papelbon gave up an RBI single in the 10th and the Yankees won 5-4, but Joba was stuck with an ND.
Who to Watch: Mike Lowell is 2-5 with a homer against Chamberlain and finished the west coast road trip with back-to-back multi-hit games… Despite being a magnet for Joba fastballs, Youkilis is 2-2 with 3 walks against Chamberlain… the red-hot Dustin Pedroia is batting .400 against Joba and .397 in July.
Arod (.290, HR, 7 RBI), Jeter (.300, HR, 3 RBI) and Cabrera (.296, 4 RBI) all have 27+ ABs and decent numbers against Beckett… Robinson Cano is in the middle of his usual 2nd half surge and is batting .333 versus Beckett… it should be noted that Damon (.250) could be back in the lineup tonight, but Molina (.143) will be the catcher with Posada (.304) on the DL.
If you're not already pumped up for this series, click on these other stories to get your blood flowing:
The Globe's Eric Wilbur reminds us that "No other team in the American League has pitched better than the Yankees this month, 12-6 in July with a 3.07 ERA. -- The Red Sox are second with a 10-8 mark and a 3.38 ERA...
Extra Bases rounds up the stories from the NY papers. Here are a few tid bits:
Justin Terranova, NY Post: "Some guys, apparently Papelbon is one of them, I wish they would engage their mind before they opened their mouth," said YES analyst Al Leiter.
"You're in Yankee Stadium, and to insult Mariano Rivera, the greatest closer in the history of the sport, is not smart."
Mike Lupica, Daily News: "You don't announce you are back in play by beating fading teams such as the A's and Twins. The best place for this flinty Yankee team to make that kind of announcement is Fenway, starting Friday night. "
"A sweep this weekend doesn't win the Yankees the AL East or settle anything with the Red Sox and Rays, because nothing gets settled in baseball the last weekend of July. It would just feel as much of a shot as the Yankees have thrown at Boston since they swept them in that five-game series two years ago."
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