Chicago @ Boston preview
Fenway Park
Last Meeting ( Sep 7, 2009 ) Boston 1, Chi. White Sox 5
As Hurricane Earl raced up the East Coast, the Boston Red Sox braced for the appearance of another powerful force: the return of Manny Ramirez to Fenway Park, this time as member of the Chicago White Sox.
Clinging to fading playoff hopes, the two teams were expected to begin a crucial three-game series at Boston on Friday night.
As it turned out, the game was immediately called off - with a split doubleheader on tap for Saturday.
Weather aside, the focus will still be on Ramirez, is in the twilight of his career - and in his words, he's finally becoming a man.
Ramirez apologized for his actions that led to his trade from the Red Sox a couple of years ago.
The slugger addressed the media on Friday before the game was postponed and admitted he regretted the circumstances that led to eventual trade. Ramirez had altercations with Kevin Youkilis and the team's traveling secretary. He said he apologized to Youkilis personally in June when he was then a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Ramirez helped lead the Red Sox to a pair of World Series titles earlier in the decade. He left, however, under turmoil and has returned to Fenway Park for just one series since.
Ramirez faced a mix of jeers and cheers from the Fenway faithful in his first return to Fenway and he can expect more of the same this weekend.
It is on the field where the White Sox hope Ramirez makes an impact. He is 1-for-3 in his only game with Chicago thus far. The White Sox are four full games behind first-place Minnesota in the American League Central.
Boston’s playoff hopes are even slimmer. The Red Sox trail the Tampa Bay Rays by seven games for the AL wild-card berth. They are 8.5 games behind the AL East-leading New York Yankees.
Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein said earlier in the week that he and the club have not waved the white flag on the season, but he admitted the team had to get hotter than it has been at any time during the season to get back in the playoff picture.
Boston enters the weekend series on a two-game winning streak. The Red Sox rallied to beat Baltimore on Wednesday night and Daisuke Matsuzaka got the win on Thursday as Boston made it two in a row.
The Red Sox will have their ace, Clay Buchholz, ready for the afternoon tilt. Buchholz has the numbers to win the AL Cy Young Award this season but will probably end up behind the Yankees’ CC Sabathia in the voting.
Sabathia leads the majors with 19 wins. Buchholz leads it in ERA with 2.21.
Boston’s rising star, however, has had no success against the White Sox in his career. In two games, Buchholz is 0-1 with a 14.09 ERA.
Buchholz (15-5) has won his last five decisions. He didn’t figure in the decision in his last outing, a 3-2 loss to Tampa Bay. Buchholz took a 2-1 lead into the eighth inning before surrendering a game-tying home run to B.J. Upton. It was the first earned run he allowed in over 30 innings.
On the other side, John Danks has had little success against Boston. Danks is 1-4 lifetime against the Red Sox with a 5.08 ERA.
Danks was hammered by the Yankees in his last outing and is winless in his last four starts. He does, however, have an impressive 3.65 ERA with 135 strikeouts on the year.