Here we go. Five games. Four days. It's mid-August, but it sure feels like a lot of the season rides on this series. GO SOX!
Starting Pitchers
New York: Chien-Ming Wang (13-5), 3.84 ERA, 1.32 WHIP.
Boston: Jason Johnson (3-11), 6.26 ERA, 1.72 WHIP.
Starting Lineups
New York:
- Johnny Damon, CF
- Derek Jeter, SS
- Bobby Abreu, RF
- Jason Giambi, DH
- Alex Rodriguez, 3B
- Robinson Cano, 2B
- Jorge Posada, C
- Craig Wilson, 1B
- Melky Cabrera, LF
- Coco Crisp, CF
- Mark Loretta, 2B
- David Ortiz, DH
- Manny Ramirez, LF
- Kevin Youkilis, 1B
- Mike Lowell, 3B
- Eric Hinske, RF
- Javy Lopez, C
- Alex Gonzalez, SS
- Hinske is in the starting lineup, taking the place of Wily Mo in RF. He's had some great success against Wang. As SoxDevil points out, "Eric Hinske has a career 1.765 OPS against Chien-Ming Wang. He's 6 for 11 with a double and two homers."
- Manny is batting .500 and OPS'ing 1.581 against the Yankees this year.
- Judas has been on a slugging tear lately. In his past seven games he's slugging .731 with three home runs.
- The player sent down to make room for Hinske wasn't Kapler, but Craig Breslow. Despite not giving up a run in either of his short stints up with the Sox, he can't seem to hang on. I think it's a shame we've sent him down again considering his stellar performance.
- This might, thank god, be the last we see of Jason Johnson this year. According to Extra bases at Boston.com, the move to activate Foulke will be made between the games, thus explaining the necessity to start Johnson in the first game as he will most likely be sent down to AAA directly after it. Kyle Snyder will get the start in the rotation spot next time it's up, against the Angels, and Wake is estimated to be back the time after that, against the Mariners.