World Series Game Three - Preview
Game Three
Opponent: Colorado Rockies
Park: Coors Field
Pitchers: Daisuke Matsuzaka (15-12, 4.40) vs. Josh Fogg (10-9, 4.94)
Stat of the Day: Fogg allows contact on 85% of swings against him, a very high percentage. The Sox should be able to do some damage.
Randomness: The expectation is that Ellsbury will lead off tonight. I'm not a fan of this. He's the 7th or 8th best hitter on the team right now and getting him the most plate appearances is an error. My lineup would be as follows;
Drew
Pedroia
Ortiz
Ramirez
Lowell
Varitek
Lugo
Ellsbury
Pitcher
Drew is hitting well and could get on base as a table setter while maintaining the L-R-L-R set up. He isn't fast like Ellsbury but he's got above average speed. On top of that, with Lugo and Ellsbury back to back at the bottom of the order you would allow the Red Sox pitchers a little wiggle room if they bunt. With either of those guys on base even a poor bunt is likely to advance them.
For Matsuzaka tonight the key as it so often is is to be aggressive. Home runs are going to happen, putting people on base with the base on balls in advance of those home runs is what leads to big innings. Force the Rockies to get hits, not walks.
Opponent: Colorado Rockies
Park: Coors Field
Pitchers: Daisuke Matsuzaka (15-12, 4.40) vs. Josh Fogg (10-9, 4.94)
Stat of the Day: Fogg allows contact on 85% of swings against him, a very high percentage. The Sox should be able to do some damage.
Randomness: The expectation is that Ellsbury will lead off tonight. I'm not a fan of this. He's the 7th or 8th best hitter on the team right now and getting him the most plate appearances is an error. My lineup would be as follows;
Drew
Pedroia
Ortiz
Ramirez
Lowell
Varitek
Lugo
Ellsbury
Pitcher
Drew is hitting well and could get on base as a table setter while maintaining the L-R-L-R set up. He isn't fast like Ellsbury but he's got above average speed. On top of that, with Lugo and Ellsbury back to back at the bottom of the order you would allow the Red Sox pitchers a little wiggle room if they bunt. With either of those guys on base even a poor bunt is likely to advance them.
For Matsuzaka tonight the key as it so often is is to be aggressive. Home runs are going to happen, putting people on base with the base on balls in advance of those home runs is what leads to big innings. Force the Rockies to get hits, not walks.
4 Comments:
At 3:58 PM,
Anonymous said…
I think I'd sooner go Lugo-Matty-Ellsbury. But batting Varitek sixth affords Lowell even less protection than does batting Drew -- of whom pitchers also don't seem especially afraid -- there.
At 6:16 PM,
Anonymous said…
Your column is the living example of Sox paranoia and angst. This is one out of 7 baseball games in the WS. Let management make the decisions. That's what they are paid to do. Let's see how this plays out. You will have plenty of time for your critic.
At 10:39 PM,
Anonymous said…
Your comment is the epitome of someone making a half-assed accusation. If you've EVER read this blog, you know that it is the antithesis of paranoia and angst. The blogger disagreed with a lineup decision in a totally rational manner. The most negative thing he said -- "I'm not a fan of this move" = paranoia and angst? Are you kidding me? There are lots of blogs where your comment would be accurate; go find one of them, if you can't understand this one.
At 7:53 PM,
Anonymous said…
Lots of anonymous readers today.
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