The Red Sox on Deck

Ah, the Red Sox -- or as I call them, the Evil Empire 1A -- are on the docket us this weekend. They are currently 3-6 on the season, and are four games out of the division lead in the AL East. Well, Boston has struggled out of the gate, but showed some signs of life this week as Tim Wakefield threw a near no-hitter on Wednesday and they earned a victory.

What concerns me about Boston is not so much their hitting, but pitching. We have to face Brad Penny, Josh Beckett and Jon Lester (Monday's starter has not been announced) -- all in order, and Penny seems to be healthy and throwing heat again, while Beckett and Lester have always done fairly well against Baltimore. While the Red Sox offense isn't as fearsome as it was since 2008 because of the departure of Manny Ramirez and the decline in David Ortiz's numbers along with his early season struggles, they are still formidable as you've got to contend with the pesky Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Mike Lowell and Jason Bay.

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