| 05 August 2009
Earlier this week, it appeared that Brad Penny would start against both the Rays and the Yankees - giving him a chance to prove that he can be the No. 3 starter we need come playoff time.
But a shift of the rotation should give us Beckett, Smoltz, Buchholz and Lester in the Bronx this week - keeping Penny and his high flyball rate out of the New York wind tunnel that is the new Yankee Stadium.
That doesn't mean Penny can relax though... After a tough loss in extras last night, Penny needs to step up and give the bullpen a chance to regroup tonight when he shares the mound with David Price.
Price has been dominant at home this season so the Sox will have their hands full. He owns a 2.67 ERA in 33+ innings and is coming off of his best start of the season where he held the Royals to 1 run on 5 hits through 7 innings.
Penny is 2-3 with a 5.06 ERA against the Rays in his careerm but held them to 3 runs through 6 innings twcie earliler this season... More of that action would be better than the 7-run shellacking he got against hhe A's his last time out.
We've talked alot about Penny's flyball and home run troubles here, as well as his inability to give us 6+ innings even once in 2009, so I don't see Penny throwing 8 or 9 innings toniught like Wake has often done when the bullpen was spent. But 7 full innings would work.
Bottom Line: Penny need to step up tonight. The Sox don't NEED any extra motivation to prepare for a series againt the Yankees, but winning tonight after losing in 13 last night would go a long way...
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