Baltimore @ Boston preview
Fenway Park
Last Meeting ( Apr 23, 2010 ) Baltimore 3, Boston 4
While the lack of offense and a shaky bullpen in the first 11 games have many Baltimore Orioles fans wondering just how bad it’s going to get in 2010, the one bright spot has been rookie pitching sensation Brian Matusz.
Many baseball pundits have been infatuated with the likes of Washington Nationals rookie pitcher Stephen Strasburg and Cincinnati Reds young hurler Aroldis Chapman - both of whom are still in the minors, by the way.
However, Matusz is a step ahead of them and has emerged as an early American League Rookie of the Year candidate.
Matusz takes the mound on Saturday against the Boston Red Sox in the second game of a three-game series at Fenway Park.
The 23-year-old southpaw will certainly be a breath of fresh air after the Orioles' bullpen wasted a late-inning rally on Friday. Baltimore managed to erase a three-run deficit to tie the game at 3-3, but the team's relievers loaded the bases in the eighth inning and closer Jim Johnson walked Adrian Beltre to give the Red Sox a 4-3 win.
Enter Matusz, who will face veteran and Red Sox newcomer John Lackey in what is expected to be an exciting pitching duel.
The Orioles have only two wins in this early part of the season and both victories came with Matusz on the mound. He can throw a fastball in the mid-90s and has a nasty curveball and slider. He is among the leaders in the American League in strikeouts with 23 in his first three starts.
That's quite a start considering the Orioles are sporting a 2-15 record (2-9 on the road).
The 6-foot-6 Lackey has had mixed results in his first three starts with the Red Sox, allowing no runs in six innings in a 3-1 loss to the New York Yankees and two runs in 6 2/3 innings in a 6-3 win over the Minnesota Twins. In his last start, he allowed eight runs in 3 1/3 innings in an 8-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.
One reason for Lackey’s up-and-down start is he has faced three of the top teams in the American League. That's not the case with Baltimore, which is a team he has dominated in his career. Lackey is 8-3 with a 3.16 ERA, including 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in starts with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2009.
Designated hitter David Ortiz has been in a horrible slump and is hitting .159, but the gental giant has shown signs of waking up. He belted his first home run of the season on Friday. In 2009, Ortiz didn't homer until May 20.
Ortiz had missed the two previous games to work on his mechanics and apparently the time off helped.