That's Right Dustin The Sox are in 1st Place!

Like Tito Francona discussed after yesterday afternoons drubbing of the Tigers as long as the red sox are playing better baseball where you are in the standings doesnt really matter. However, who doesnt like to be in 1st place? Yes I know we are tied with father times team, but from where we were just a month or so ago and the start we had to the season who isn't happy!

Now some of us know which one of us wanted whole sale changes to this team in April! We also know one of us was concerned, but had great confidence in this team in that they would right the ship! That guy maybe losing in the head to head picking of games here on 3 Up! 3 Down, but much like the Red Sox I will make a run and I will prevail!

Let's keep it going!

Sox v. Tigers. Again.

So, once again in the last two weeks, the Sox will lock up against the Detroit tigers. This time around the Series is in Detroit, and the Tigers look to slow the momentum of the hottest team in baseball right now. Since starting the season with a paltry 0-6 record, the Sox have turned it around to the tune of winning 27 of their last 43 games. So, lets look at how this one plays out and take our guesses.

Thursday 05/26.
-Brad Picks: Red Sox Win
-Randy Picks: Red Sox Win
Alfredo Aceves [1-0, 2.42ERA] v/s Max Sherzer [6-1, 2.98ERA]
-The Good:
Aceves fired five strong innings against the Cubs last time out, and has held opposing hitters to a paltry .185 average this year. Combine this with the fact that the Sox offense is starting to click on all cylinders, and we could be looking at a good afternoon for the old team.
-The Bad:
Sherzer. Seriously, this kid has been awesome this year. He struggled his last time out versus the NL's whipping boys, but he should be served well with a return to Comerica, where's he's been a great pitcher for his Tigers this year. Detroit has a couple very good hitters in this lineup, and it would serve the Sox pitchers to be very careful in this one.
My star of this game is going to be Crawford, who I'm assuming is returning to his normal All-Star self as of late.



Friday 05/27.
-Brad Picks: Red Sox lose
-Randy Picks:  Red Sox Win
Tim Wakefield [1-1, 4.50ERA] v/s Rick Porcello [4-2, 3.08ERA]
-The Good:
None. Tim Wakefield is both unpredictable and suspect at this point. The only good that can come out of this is that the offense explodes and scores more than the five Wakefield is likely to give up. Wakefield threw well his last time out, and has always been the suitor to tons of run support, but at this point, I've learned to never count on Wakefield for a win.
-The Bad:
See "The Good". Porcello is on an absolute tear as of late, having only allowed 7 earned runs in his last six starts.
-The Sox bats have their work cut out for them in this one. Porcello will walk guys, so they have to wait him out.
-I look for Youk to be the star here, if there is one, since he seems to be pounding the guys that he has a bad history with this year. Porcello beaned Youk the last time they faced each other, and Youk took matters into his own hands. Right before Porcello slammed him to the ground and whipped his ass.

Saturday 05/28.
-Brad Picks: Red Sox Win
-Randy Picks: Red Sox Win
Clay Buchholz [4-3, 3.30ERA] v/s Andrew Oliver [no stats]-The Good:
Clay Buchholz. In his last five starts, the young fireballer is 3-0 with a 1.64 ERA. He was the hard luck loser his last time out, where he spun a gem in Cleveland. He has also held opposing hitters to a sub .200 batting average over those five starts. I look for him to continue his domination for now, but like I've already mentioned, he has to be careful in this one.
-The Bad:
Andrew Oliver. The Tigers are calling up the big, powerful lefty from Triple-A Toledo to toe the bump in this one. He was good, not great, in Toledo this year, but when you combine the fact that the Sox rarely hit guys they haven't seen too much and the fact that he's a lefty...should be a good game.
-My star this game is Buchholz, who I feel is on such a tear right now, he's going to be hard to beat.

Sunday 05/29
-Brad Picks: Red Sox win
-Randy Picks: *Red Sox lose
Josh Beckett [4-1, 1.69ERA] v/s [4-3, 3.42ERA]
-The Good:
Josh Beckett, and his league-leading ERA, rebounded breaking ball, unhittable change-up, and return to his ace days of a couple years ago. Honestly, I've never given up on Beckett being a dominant starter, but he pushed my loyalty last year. A lot. Randy and I had several discussions where I was forced to agree with him. Since the days of Pedro, Beckett has clearly been one of my favorite players, and nobody is happier (sans Theo Epstein) than me with this turn-around.
-The Bad:
Verlander. He's just as good as anyone in baseball on any given night. Last time out in Fenway, he pitched eight innings of three-run ball before taking a ND in the ninth. He can shut down any offense in baseball, including the Sox.
-My stars this game are Beckett and AGon.
Agon is a serious candidate for the best hitter I have ever seen.

Lets get 'em, Sox. Keep this train rolling!!

*lets keep the Beckett streak going

Matchup 5/23/11- 5/25/11 Red Sox vs Indians

Well the Red Sox were very lucky to get a great performance from Old Man Wakefield. Saturday's loss is one to put behind you very quickly and the Sox did that behind performances from Wakefield and Salty. Brad and I did not have a good weekend of predictions we both went 1-2, thanks to the loss of Matt Garza due to elbow soreness.

If anybody wants to make their picks for the series please make them in the comments section and we will keep track of them through out the year!

The Indians have the best record in in baseball at 29-15! Yes thats right the Cleveland Indians! (add Major League Reference here) They are also 18-4 at home.

Clay Buchholz 4-3, 3.42 vs. Justin Masterson 5-2, 2.52,

Prediction:   Randy: Red Sox Win. Brad: Red Sox Win
- The sox will face Masterson their former jack of all trades for the pitching staff. It has been rumored that the Red Sox have made a few trade offers to bring Masterson back to Boston but the Indians have said no. Looks like the for the Indians their patience with Masterson may have paid off with his 5-2 record.
- Old friend Orlando Cabrera has had a good year and has good numbers against Clay batting .500 against him
- Nobody on the Red Sox has great numbers against the RHP but, Crawford has hit a HR in 13 Plate Appearances

*Josh Beckett 3-1, 1.73 vs. Fausto Carmona 3-4, 4.76
Prediction:   *Randy:  Red Sox Lose      Brad: Red Sox win, and Beckett dominates.
- Beckett has been one of if not the best pitcher in the AL to start this season. His record should be better since the sox recently have struggled to score runs in his starts.
 - Beckett has had No Decisions in 5 out of 6 last games
- Orlando Cabrera, Shin Soo Choo, Adam Everett and Lou Marson have hit HR against Beckett
- Watch out for Asdrubel Cabrera he has hit Beckett well .353 and has been swinging a hot bat recently
- Michael Brantley has been playing well for the Indians
- Carmona threw a gem in the 2nd game of the season 7 IP of 2 hit ball, but a lot has changed since then
-Many Red Sox have had great success against Carmona who has some down years recently Ortiz, Tek, and Salty are some of them
- Pedroia is not one of those guys with little success against Carmona batting .188 with 3 strikeouts in 20 PA

Jon Lester 6-1, 3.68  vs. Mitch Talbot 1-0, 1.46
Prediction:  Randy: Red Sox Win              Brad: Red Sox win!
- Talbot is coming off the DL to make this start, he pitched on April 6th agaisnst the Sox
-He pitched 4.1 innings 2 R and 5 hits and got the No decision
-In 3 starts against the Sox he has 6.35 ERA
-Orlando Cabrera again has had some success against Lester going 6 for 18 with 4 RBI's. Too bad O.Cab is such a head case he really is a good player
- Fmr Sox Farm Hand Adam Evertt is 3 for 6 against Lester
- Lester has admittedly struggled over the last 3 games (2-0, 1 ND) In 17.1 IP he has given up 24 Hits, 14 ER, 11 BB and 17 K  far from ace material

* I have picked Beckett to lose and he has won and dominated those games so I will keep my superstition alive even though I may not believe it - Randy

MLB on Fox SUCKS

I just want to mention how much I HATE FOX SPORTS. We can go on and on about Fox News and all that garbage but the MLB on Fox has to be the worst programming on Earth! Yesterday all I wanted to do was go to my local drinking establishment, Sullivan's on Chapel St in New Haven, CT, and enjoy watching the Red Sox. However, when I went in the stupid Bernie Maddoff team that nobody cares about were playing father time's team. Now if anybody knows Dean at Sullivan's these games are not allowed on his televisions. He told me that the Subway Series was chosen by MLB on Fox to be shown instead of the Red Sox vs. Cubs! I cannot stand not being able to watch my team on TV because some shmo in a suit wont let me. This is Major League Baseball not the NHL where they put conference finals on station nobody gets (Versus is a close 2nd to Fox). I hope whoever made the decision to not show the Red Sox on MLB on Fox goes home and finds his or her significant other in bed with another person and finds out they have gonorrhea!

P.S. these guys too