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Red Sox Notes

The Red Sox and Braves will try to play two Saturday at Fenway. Game 1 is set for 1:05. The nightcap is scheduled for 7:35. Rain is expected to threaten the start of the day game, at a minimum.
The two teams thought about playing one game Saturday and one Sunday and finding a spot in the schedule to make up the rain out. Player's Association rules that insist on a certain number of off days limited that option, however.
The Red Sox will start Diasuke Matsuzaka in the day game and he'll be opposed by Anthony Lerew. Dice K was slated to face Hall of Famer in waiting John Smoltz but the Braves will hold Smoltz back until the night game when he'll face fill-in starter Devern Hansack.
The extra day off will help the Sox heal a few bruises (like JD Drew's back) and get some time for the players who went 18 innings on Thursday (like Manny Ramirez). Ramirez wasn't in the lineup for Friday's game because he played two on Thursday. The plan now is for Drew to play once Saturday and try to come back on Sunday.
Terry Francona spoke about how much more comfortable he is with the pool of pitchers at Pawtucket who the Sox can call up at a moment's notice. That wasn't the case late last year when the Sox were searching the waiver wire for pitching help (Jason Johnson anyone?) in the heat of the summer.
The Sox are still expected to call up Kasson Gabbard for Sunday's series finale but no official word will come until Saturday, if not Sunday. The Braves have former Oakland ace Tim Hudson ready to throw Sunday.
That's it until tomorrow. Let's play two.

KEVIN McNAMARA

Posted by Kevin  at 4:33 PM | Permalink