Red Sox vs White Sox [Tazawa vs. Floyd]--SAT Fox [Lester vs. Danks] SUN TBS =3
This game might have ranked higher if the White Sox weren't in give up on 2009 mode. Granted, the White Sox weren't great this year but they were at least good enough to not trade Jim Thome for pretty much nothing. Still, they start a couple of decent pitchers in Floyd and Danks this weekend so they should at least be competitive in these games.
The Red Sox are looking to extend their wild card lead over the Rangers this weekend. They start Tazawa on Saturday who has struggled in the month he's been on the Red Sox roster. They start Lester on Sunday. He's in the midst of another solid season in Boston.
Rangers vs. Orioles [Millwood vs. Matusz] =2 Saturday FOX
Speaking of the Rangers, they have a game on TV this weekend too. They've managed to stay in within contention the entire season due to improved pitching and bring in solid veteran Kevin Millwood to start. They get what basically equates to a gimme series playing against an Orioles team that has given up on the season.....how they got onto TV for a September game is beyond me. They start 22-year old Brian Matusz who has an OK win-loss record (3-2) but hasn't really pitched that well......to display Exhibit 3,478 on this team giving up on the season......Matusz has been a rotation regular despite pitching in Single-A as late as June.
Giants vs. Brewers [The Brewers series preview will get posted later today] Saturday-FOX
Tigers [Jackson] vs. Rays [Sonnanstine] --Sunday TBS =3.5
Probably the best match-up out of an overall uninspiring pack of games. The Tigers send Edwin Jackson to the mound to face his old team. Jackson has been a big reason why the Tigers are in first-place and played significantly better than expected. The Rays (who probably shouldn't have traded him straight up for 11 games and 37 mediocre Matt Joyce at-bats) counter's with Andy Sonnanstine who is having a terrible season (69 ERA+)......The Rays are quickly fading from the Wild Card race and can only be wondering what if they didn't trade Jackson in the off-season.....well they did and they're not better off for it.
Padres [Stauffer] vs. Dodgers [TBA] = 1
Two teams.....two hours apart.....two contrasting places in the standings. The Padres start Tim Stauffer who despite being the #4 pick in the 2003 draft.....hasn't played well enough overall to justify such a high pick. However, he has pitched better this season [3-6 3.76 era 100 ERA+] and looks like he may be a pitcher to watch out for in 2010. The Dodgers have yet to announce who's starting the Sunday night game....but regardless of who it is the Dodgers are likely to win this one easily. For them, this is basically a gimme series against a lesser-talented team.
Well that's the baseball on TV on tap for labor day weekend. Like I said not the most inspiring-but it's a three day weekend and it gives off a calm before the storm vibe.
It'll be Tim Wakefield that goes for the Sox on Saturday.
ReplyDelete