Red Sox - Blue Jays 4/29 Preview

BOSTON RED SOX v. TORONTO BLUE JAYS

When: Tuesday April 29, 2008
Where: Fenway Park; Boston, Massachusetts
Time: 7:05pm
TV: NESN Radio: WRKO 680/SBN 1150

PITCHING MATCH-UP

v.

LHP Jon Lester (1-2, 5.40 ERA, 16K, 1.77 WHIP)

v.

RHP Roy Halladay (2-3, 3.73, 25K, 1.15 WHIP)

Jon Lester

Lester is making his sixth start of the season against the Blue Jays tomorrow night trying to record his first win since his second start of the season in Oakland on April 2. In his last three starts against the Angels, Rangers and Indians he has not factored into the decision although the Red Sox did claim victory in two of those three games putting the Sox at 3-3 when Lester starts a game. Against the Angels, in his last start, the young lefty pitched five innings allowing four earned runs on nine hits while walking two Angel batters and striking out one. During the game, Los Angeles got out to an early lead in the first inning and would keep on adding to that lead until the fifth inning when David Ortiz hit a two run homerun off of Jon Garland to tie the score at four. Since Lester exited the game with the game tied after the fifth inning, he was unable to get the win – or the loss. The disappointing Craig Hansen, who was brought up that day, relieved Lester in the sixth and gave up the ultimate game winning homerun to first baseman Casey Kotchman.

Lester against Blue Jay hitters:

OPPOSING HITTER	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
Alex Rios	2	1	1	0	0	1	1	0	.500	.667	1.000	1.667
Gregg Zaun	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	.333	.333	.333	.667
Shannon Stewart	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	.333	.333	.333	.667
Aaron Hill	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	.000	.000	.000	.000
Matt Stairs	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	.000	.333	.000	.333
Vernon Wells	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	.000	.333	.000	.333
Totals	15	3	1	0	0	1	3	4	.200	.333	.267	.60

Stats provided by STATS LLC/ESPN

Roy Halladay

The Blue Jays ace is a work horse. He already has three complete games on the season and pitched past the seventh inning in four of the five games he started as well as averaging 101.2 pitches a game. Just like the Red Sox, Halladay is coming off a loss to the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg where he went the distance pitching eight innings allowing five earned runs nine hits and one walk while striking out four Rays hitters. Although Halladay has struck out over 130 opposing batters in four out of the last six seasons, the Jays righty is also skilled in keeping the ball on the ground. On the young season, when opposing hitters have put the bat on the ball 74% of the outs, the Jays have recorded with him on the mound, have been ground ball outs. Meaning nearly three out of four balls put in play for an out are ground balls.

OPPOSING HITTER	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
Jacoby Ellsbury	6	4	0	1	2	3	0	0	.667	.667	2.000	2.667
J.D. Drew	16	7	0	0	1	1	3	2	.438	.526	.625	1.151
Kevin Youkilis	32	11	2	1	1	4	6	5	.344	.447	.563	1.010
David Ortiz	76	22	6	0	5	20	4	11	.289	.333	.566	.899
Coco Crisp	28	8	1	0	1	2	0	2	.286	.286	.429	.714
Manny Ramirez	75	20	5	0	3	12	6	16	.267	.317	.453	.770
Sean Casey	15	4	0	0	0	0	0	2	.267	.267	.267	.533
Julio Lugo	46	12	1	0	1	2	2	8	.261	.292	.348	.639
Mike Lowell	24	6	0	0	3	9	1	5	.250	.280	.625	.905
Jason Varitek	60	14	4	0	2	10	6	18	.233	.303	.400	.703
Alex Cora	15	3	0	0	1	2	1	2	.200	.250	.400	.650
Dustin Pedroia	19	3	1	0	0	1	1	1	.158	.200	.211	.411
Totals	412	114	20	2	20	66	30	72	.277	.327	.481	.807

Stats provided by STATS LLC/ESPN

Probable Starters:

Red Sox Line Up

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
   
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
   
3. David Ortiz, DH
   
4. Manny Ramirez, LF
   
5. Mike Lowell, 3B
   
6. J.D. Drew, RF
   
7. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
   
8. Jason Varitek, C
   
9. Julio Lugo, SS

Blue Jays Line Up

1. David Eckstein, SS
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
3. Alex Rios, RF
4. Vernon Wells, CF
5. Matt Stairs, DH
6. Scott Rolen, 3B
7. Lyle Overbay, 1B
8. Shannon Stewart, LF
9. Gregg Zaun, C
   

Red Sox Notes:

With Mike Lowell expected to come out the disabled list for Tuesday’s game against the Jays it is certain that the rookie Jed Lowrie will be optioned to Pawtucket to make room on the roster for Lowell. Lowrie played exceptionally well in Lowell’s absence after Sean Casey went on the disabled list on April 26 with a strained right hip flexor.