Game time; 7:05 pm

Scheduled starters: Tim Wakefield (4-4, 2.41) v. Chien-Ming Wang (2-3, 4.54)

The game will be on NESN and on ESPN.


New York Weather:

Noon observation at KLGA: wind out of the north at 7 mph, visibility 10 miles, scattered clouds at 4,600 feet, temperature 63F, DP 41F.

Forecast: With high pressure moving into the area, it will be cool and clear this evening, with a light wind out of the north. That's blowing from left to right.

Typically, Wake pitches best when he's throwing into the wind. Any data on whether a left-to-right movement has an effect?

If the Sox need a little dose of killer instinct for this series, Tito needs to lock the entire team in the locker room for an hour with a looping highlight reel of last year's 5 game debacle/massacre at Fenway playing on 10 different TVs. Letting them remember the pain of that series should have them running full sprint onto that field ready to take no prisoners.

Supposedly Clemens might be at the stadium tonight, this would be the perfect opportunity to show Clemens he made a giant mistake

It was hardly a giant mistake, since he was all about the money and he got what he wanted and more.

lets see if Jason Giambi is in the lineup for tonight game or not, if its not then they are gonna try to void that greasy pig contract! so we will see!

As long as we don't get swept, it's fine by me. However, sweeping them would be f*cking delicious.

agreed I know it sounds weird but even taking 1 game would be great....taking 2 would be sweet and all 3 would almost be a let down to how crappy the MFY are playing(don't get me wrong this is a good thing)......I think Schilling scares me more then Tav or Wake in this seris...Schil has seemed to be off his mark as of late.

Go Sox!

Boy i hope Wake is "on" tonight. He's the key to this series IMHO.

With Wang being switched to tonight, I wonder if Tito would give Lowell two days in a row off, considering Hinske's enormous 1600 OPS off Wang? Youk is over 1000 as well, while Lowell is just 3 for 15 off Wang. I imagine the Sox gave Lowell the day off Sunday and planned to play him tonight, then Wang got moved. Lowell in general though is red hot. Tough call for Tito on Lowell/Hinske tonight.

Good suggestion. Looking at those numbers I think it would make sense to start Hinske and keep Lowell available for a pinch-hitting opportunity in case they bring in Villone or Myers in the 6th or 7th.

Meanwhile, Okajima and Paps threw an inning apiece for us yesterday, partly because they needed the work but partly because that game was never truly locked up. The Yanks also put their primary setup man and their closer on the hill yestrerday, presumably for the same reason, because they needed the work. O.k. Rivera hadn't pitched in a couple days, but did Proctor really need to throw 27 pitches just to stay sharp? That's his 23rd appearance already. I'd really love to crack that bullpen open early and take tonight's game.

Yes it sounds weird, but it is certainly true. I just hope Wake gets it done tonight to get the one the Sox need ot of the way.

Riveria also threw over 25 pitches yesterday in his apperance.....He eventually gave up that home run on a 10 pitch AB.

Fueling the Fire in NY...Ortiz and Lowell

"We can't worry about anyone," third baseman Mike Lowell said. "We're playing too good baseball right now. They're the ones that need to worry. They're the ones that have got to worry."

"We don't have to worry about nobody right now," said Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz. "Everybody needs to worry about us."

"It's their problem right now," Ortiz said. "We're playing well. We're doing our thing right now. They have to figure out what they need to do to beat us."

Are the lineups out yet? I heard Hinske was NOT in there, which is insane considering his numbers against Wang.

Here you go.


Red Sox:

SS Julio Lugo
1B Kevin Youkilis
DH David Ortiz
LF Manny Ramirez
RF J.D. Drew
3B Mike Lowell
CF Coco Crisp
C Doug Mirabelli
2B Alex Cora

SP Tim Wakefield

Yankees:

CF Johnny Damon
SS Derek Jeter
LF Hideki Matsui
3B Alex Rodriguez
C Jorge Posada
RF Bobby Abreu
DH Jason Giambi
2B Robinson Cano
1B Doug Mientkiewicz

SP Chien-Ming Wang

Ok, thanks..........So why no Hinske?

Because of the liberal media?

No, no. I really don't know. Francona is one odd duck sometimes when it comes to lineups, but Lowell has been on fire, driving a lot of balls with authority. So, in short: Who effin' knows. I'm not too worried about it, though.

I'm not happy to see Cora in there. Again.

Cora homered off Wang last time, so there's the reason.

05/21 18:37:12 ET

I haven't minded seeing Cora get the nod against some of the tougher righties -- the guy has a .966 OPS vs. righties so far. That, and you have take advantage of whatever production he can give you while he's giving it to you...because at some point, he'll go back to being a .230 hitter. (Same thing happened last year - he hit .300 in the first half, .193 in the second half.)

We're definitely on the cusp of it being a problem, though. It's been a great luxury to have Cora hot early so Pedroia could be eased into his role. But Pedroia has settled in at this point, and Cora, meanwhile, has hit .267 over the last two weeks. Over the past week, .269...OPS. His BABIP over the last week has been .118, which would scream fluke more often than not -- but not in this case. It's more a reflection of Cora not even being able to get the ball out of the infield lately.

The advantage of giving Cora the occasional start isn't there anymore, at least not for now. Had to do it, maybe, with all the doubleheaders last week. But if this is still going to be the routine going forward, even with Cora slumping...no thanks.

What the hell are they chanting?

This strike zone better be the same for Wake.

They chant all the yankee starters names, It's annoying

Roll call, it's a Yankee bleacher creature tradition.

Also, I think Cora is much better as a pinch hitter off the bench than Pedroia would be (and Pedroia as a starter I think is at least equal to Cora now), whether it be because of seeing pitchers in the past (as opposed to Pedroia who either hasn't or ionly a few times). I like having a dangerous bench, and I think the bench is more useful with Cora on it than Pedroia (and I think the offense is better now that Dustin's found his groove with him in the game the majority of the time).

There's probably stats refuting my notion, but someone who is stat-finding savy with breakdowns can either demolish or concur with it.

Drew swinging at ball 4. Oy!

Gay-Rod

I have a feeling this just set the tone of the series. Hope I'm wrong.

As long as Wakes doesn't walk people, we'll be okay in the end. Unfortunately, as his fastball is sucky coupled with the slowness of his knuckler, anybody who gets on first is almost a defacto double by way of steal (if they feel like it).

Nice intangibles.

Hey Jeter

That's your reigning gold glove SS, folks!

Bullshit call.

That 3-1 pitch looked like ball 4.

Ball 4 ump..

Ditto. Nasty pitch to end the at bat makes the prior pitch more painful.

That second strike was tough.

Leaving too many men on base here, got to make 'em pay.

The comment was an inning late, but Drew blows. I've got no confidence in that guy whatsoever. I've laid off being cirtical for the pst month or to, but J.D. Drew really sucks. He better step up soon. Even if he is not productive day to day, at least come up big every now and then...

Two innings in a row the Sox have Wang on the ropes but can't deliver the clutch hit! Geeez, generous call for the second strike but hell. J.D. Drew has to step the hell up...

Same thing they do every game. They chant each players name until they acknowledge it in some way. As much as the Yankees SUCK, it is actually not a bad tradition.

We NEED to trade for Erin Andrews...stat!

Roid bitch

Wang has already made 44 pitches, could be an important factor.

Oh great, the steroid junkie hits one out...

I've already given up on this game.

I'm that annoyed.

ditto...
well they are all of over wakefields sh!t today...

Wake throwing batting practice out there. It'd be nice if he had a average 2nd pitch to fall back on.

if minky homers we can turn off the tv imo

Nice catch there J.D., f*cking ham and egger.

This is going to be a sweet game to come back and win.

This has all the makings of a head-banger game.

Either Wang will settle down, or he will leave after five with the bullpen shutting us down in unprecendented fashion.

Wake seems to be getting a long-awaited correction in his ERA.

EDIT-Smart play by Cora, even though he didn't get Cano.

If Coco doesn't keep getting out after 1 pitch the Sox may be able to get into that Yankee BP.

Not really liking this game so far