| 16 June 2009
Tim Wakefield will get the start tonight as the Red Sox open a three game set agains the Florida Marlins at Fenway Park.
Wake leads the team with eight wins and is 8-3 with a 4.50 ERA this season. The combination of a 75 MPH fastball and a variety of knuckleballs hasn't resulted ina ton if strike outs this season (43 K in 76 IP), but the Markins the lead the majors with 526 strikeouts thanks to four starters posting 50+ Ks already this season: Bonifacio (57), Hermida (54), Ross (51) and Uggla (50).
None of the Marlins have any real experience with Wake or the Red Sox, so it's tough to predict what will haoppen this week. What we do know is that they just swept the Blue Jays in Toronto and put up 24 runs during that three game series, so it will be up to Wakefield to kill that momentum tonight.
All of the Marlins enjoyed their time in Canada, but the three guys I think we need to slow down are Hanley (.330 overall and .333 in June), Ross (.458 with 4 2B, 2 HR and 6 RBI during 6-game hitting streak) and Hermida (5 multi-hit games from June 9-13 with 3 HRs and 6 RBI).
The fish will be countering with Chris Volstad, who looked very sharp out of the game posting a 2-0, 2.67 ERA, 27 Ks line in his first five starts. Voltsad has taken the loss in six of his last eight starts, but he's really been the victim of a struggling offense during that span. The Marlins have scored just 3.25 RPG for "Voltron" in the last eight games while he has held opponents to 3.4 RPG... if the Marlins can bring the offense they had in Toronto to Boston, this game will be interesting.
Like Wakefield, the Sox have no real experience with Volstad, but with the leagues best home record (21-8) and 3rd best homer AVG (.286) this is a game (and series) the Red Sox should win.
I expect Pedroia to be back in the lineup tonight and since his recent struggles line up with his move to the lead off spot, I think we may see him back in the two hole tonight as well. Ellsbury has also kicked thing into high gear recently, going 5 for 13 with a homer, 4 RBI and 2 stolen bases against the Phillies and posting a .353 BA in June.
Lastly... I'd like to point out that Jason Bay had two hits in each game against he Phils and is riding a 6-game hitting streak right now. He seems to be enjoying facing his old National League opponents so I expect more Jay-Bay magic througout the week.
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