Red Sox fortify for latest skirmish with Yankees

Baseball Betting Lines

07/25/2008 - (Baseball Betting) - The on-field war between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees adds a few more battles this coming weekend. And the defending world champions are bringing out the heavy artillery.

The Red Sox will have David Ortiz in the lineup for the first time in nearly two months when the club starts up its three-game series with the hated Yankees Friday at Fenway Park. The game-changing slugger has been sidelined since May 31 due to a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist, an injury that also prevented Ortiz from participating in a fifth straight All-Star Game.

If a recent rehab stint is any indication, Ortiz figures be his usual menacing self in the middle of the Boston lineup right away. The star designated hitter bashed a home run in all three of his games with Triple-A Pawtucket last week, then went 2-for-3 with an RBI in an appearance with Double-A Portland on Monday.

The Red Sox certainly haven't been crippled by the absence of their regular No. 3 hitter, as the veteran club compiled a still-solid 26-19 record in the 45 games Ortiz has sat out. However, the return of one of the game's premier clutch performers will not only obviously make Boston a more dangerous lineup from top-to-bottom -- it also provides manager Terry Francona some much-needed flexibility.

Francona now has the option to move Jacoby Ellsbury, who's batting just .239 in June and July, out of the leadoff spot to the bottom of the order. Red-hot Dustin Pedroia could then be inserted to the top of the lineup, with either Kevin Youkilis or J.D. Drew replacing Pedroia as the No. 2 hitter.

Drew had seen the majority of time in Ortiz's customary spot and thrived with the opportunity. The All-Star right fielder belted 12 homers and knocked in 31 runs over 42 games in the No. 3 hole, a primary reason why the Sox continued to win with Ortiz on the shelf.

Boston made a more subtle roster move earlier in the week, albeit one that potentially carries its share of significance as well. Rookie pitcher Justin Masterson was called up from Pawtucket on Sunday in hopes of providing a reliable late-inning bridge to lights-out closer Jonathan Papelbon.

Masterson held his own as a injury fill-in in Boston's deep rotation earlier this season, producing a 4-3 record and a 3.67 earned run average in nine starts before being sent back down to the minors a few weeks back. But with relievers Hideki Okajima, Manny Delcarmen, Craig Hansen and Mike Timlin all plagued by inconsistency throughout this season, the Red Sox viewed Masterson's power arm as a potential solution to the team's bullpen problems.

The 23-year-old paid immediate dividends in his debut as a reliever. After replacing fellow youngster Clay Buchholz during a tie game in Seattle on Wednesday, Masterson delivered 2 2/3 perfect innings to help Boston to a 6-3, 12-inning victory over the Mariners. He threw 20 of his 27 pitches for strikes.

"I think that's the guy we hoped we'd see," Francona told the Boston Herald on Masterson's performance. "That was electric. You're not going to jump up and down for the future, but that was exciting."

Boston enters this weekend's series with the Yankees locked in a first-place tie with Tampa Bay in the American League East. New York is currently three games behind both the Red Sox and Rays.

SWEEPING IN SEATTLE

The Sox tuned up for their upcoming clash with the rival Bronx Bombers by taking all three meetings with the hapless Mariners. The sweep put a positive spin on a two-city road trip that started with a trio of tough losses to the AL West-leading Angels, with Boston failing to hold onto late leads in the final two defeats.

Boston was buoyed by strong starting pitching in the first two games of the Seattle set. Jon Lester and Papelbon teamed up for an eight-hit shutout to lead the Red Sox to a 4-0 victory in Monday's opener, then Daisuke Matsuzaka tossed 7 1/3 innings of two-run ball in Tuesday's 4-2 decision over the Mariners. The Japanese superstar improved his season record to 11-1 with the sharp effort.

The relief corps were the stars of Wednesday's extra-inning triumph, as Masterson, Okajima, Delcarmen, Papelbon and Hansen combined for 6 2/3 scoreless innings in relief of Buchholz. Hansen worked his way out of a bases- loaded, two-out jam in the bottom of the 12th by getting Seattle's Jose Vidro to bounce to second and end the game.

DUSTIN DYNAMITE

Pedroia finished 2-for-5 with a run scored in Wednesday's win and has now hit safely in 23 consecutive away games, which ties Pete Rose and Joey Cora for the fourth-longest hitting streak by a second baseman since 1956. The diminutive sparkplug is batting .331 with six home runs on the road this season.

The reigning AL Rookie of the Year has been on a six week-long tear at the plate that has raised his season average from .260 to .321. In 33 games over the course of that span, Pedroia is hitting a scorching .438 (63-for-144) and scored 31 runs. He currently ranks second among AL players with 135 hits this season, two less than Texas second baseman Ian Kinsler, while his 70 runs scored is tied for second-most in the league.

WHO'S HOT

Lester recorded his fifth straight winning decision after firing 7 1/3 scoreless innings in Monday's victory over the Mariners. The young lefty has yielded a mere three runs in 36 2/3 innings during those five wins, one of which was a five-hit shutout against the Yankees on July 3, and hasn't lost since May 25.

Left fielder Manny Ramirez is batting .487 (19-for-39) with three home runs and nine RBI during a current 11-game hitting streak. The surge has raised the enigmatic slugger's season average from .278 to .301.

WHO'S NOT

Buchholz has not made an impact since rejoining the rotation shortly before the All-Star break. In three starts following his recall from the minors, the rookie is 0-2 with a 6.60 ERA and issued nine walks in 15 innings. He has failed to pitch more than 5 1/3 innings in any of his last six starts.

Ellsbury is batting an anemic .119 (5-for-42) with no extra-base hits or RBI over his last nine games. The slumping outfielder has also walked just once during that rough stretch.

ON DECK

Josh Beckett (9-6, 3.98) will start Friday's opener against the Yankees, which also starts off a nine-game homestand for the Red Sox, and will go head-to- head with New York phenom Joba Chamberlain (2-3, 2.52). Tim Wakefield (6-7, 3.69) gets the call for Boston on Saturday and will be opposed by Andy Pettitte (11-7, 3.86), while Lester (8-3, 3.20) and Sidney Ponson (6-1, 4.02) are slated to pitch Sunday's finale.

Following the Yankee series, Boston will have an opportunity to avenge its recent losses to the Angels with a three-game set beginning Monday. Oakland then visits Fenway Park for a trio of meetings from August 1-3.