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August 28, 2007
Sean McAdam is on his way to New York for this week's Sox-Yanks series, and he stops on his way to talk to us for the latest edition of projo SoxTalk. Click here to listen to the full audio file. The topics: a role reversal in the old rivalry; the Red Sox motivation the rest of the way; how the Red Sox have kept their division lead; the Yankees' options in the starting rotation; and tonight's Pettitte-Matsuzaka matchup.
Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments.
On the Yankees, apparently chasing the wild card: "The shoe's on the other foot here, I guess, as we get into the final month of the season, because for the last nine years it has been the Yankees finishing first and for most of those nine years the Red Sox finishing second, and getting in as the wild card on three or four different occasions. And now it is reversed, and it looks like the Red Sox are on their way to their first division title since 1995, and the Yankees are going to have to get in as a wild card for the first time since 1997."
Motivators for the Red Sox: "I think that they are mostly motivated by trying to get this thing wrapped up as quickly as possible, and obviously that's going to take a few weeks. ... You remember the last time the Red Sox got into the postseason, in 2005 -- when they actually tied the Yankees but lost out on the tiebreaker and became the wild card -- because they had to work so hard right down to game 162, they didn't have time to get their pitching lined up, and that resulted in Matt Clement getting a game one assignment against he White Sox, and we all know what happened there."
Matsuzaka going tonight: "I think it will be interesting, because he hasn't faced [the Yankees] for a couple of months now. Clearly the Yankees are expert at driving up pitch counts, because they can be so selective and patient at the plate, and this will be a good indication to see if Daisuke has learned to deal with that a little better."
Posted by Mike McDermott 
at 9:33 AM to McAdam
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