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Saturday’s Red Sox-Blue Jays matchups: Daisuke Matsuzaka vs. Aaron Laffey 09.08.12 at 8:51 am ET
By

Daisuke Matsuzaka

After being completely ineffective last week in his start against the Athletics, Daisuke Matsuzaka will take the mound again Saturday looking to return to the success he displayed in his first start after coming off of the DL.

Matsuzaka (1-4, 6.15 ERA) lasted just 3 2/3 innings while giving up six earned runs against Oakland, in what was his shortest start of 2012, save his injury-shortened outing that sent him to the DL. The start was indicative of all the issues that have plagued the 31-year-old over his six seasons with the Red Sox: throwing 97 pitches to record 11 outs, walking a season-high four batters and returning his ERA to the highest among the team’s starters who have made more than one start.

Saturday, though, Matsuzaka will face a Toronto lineup against whom he has been downright dominant. Throughout his career, Matsuzaka boasts a .173 batting average against and a .471 OPS against. He has given up just three extra base hits and four walks in 85 plate appearances. Historically, Matsuzaka’s numbers against the Blue Jays are tremendous, recording a 7-1 record and a 3.33 ERA while averaging just under 5 2/3 innings per start.

Matsuzaka’s most recent start against Toronto came on June 26, when he earned the win after giving up one run over 5 2/3 innings, throwing 100 pitches in the process. The start appeared to be Matsuzaka’s most promising since returning to the team from Tommy John surgery before he sustained a neck injury in his next start.

Taking the mound for the Blue Jays will be 27-year-old lefty Aaron Laffey, who in two starts against the Red Sox this season has yet to surrender a run. After a brief stint in the Blue Jays bullpen, Laffey returned to the starting rotation following a season-ending injury to J.A. Happ.

In his first stint as a starter for Toronto this season, Laffey was 3-5 with a 4.78 ERA over 11 starts before returning to the bullpen on Aug. 27. Laffey ended up making just two appearances out of the bullpen in that time, with his most recent appearance coming Sept. 2 against the Rays, when he finished the game with three scoreless innings in a 9-4 loss.

Against the current Red Sox lineup, Laffey has posted solid numbers, including a .235 batting average against. His most impressive stat, though, is his .294 slugging average against, giving up just one extra base hit, a solo home run to Dustin Pedroia. Outside of Pedroia and Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who have OPS totals of 1.121 and .855, respectively, against Laffey, no Red Sox in Satuday’s lineup have hit higher than .231 against him.

Blue Jays vs. Matsuzaka (RHP)

Adam Lind (29 plate appearances): .143 BA/.172 OBP/.286 SLG, 1 double, 1 home run, 1 RBI, 1 walk, 8 strikeouts

Yunel Escobar (13) .231/.231/.231, 1 RBI, 1 strikeout

Edwin Encarnacion (10): .250/.400/.250, 1 RBI, 2 walk, 2 strikeouts

Kelly Johnson (9): .000/.111/.000, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts

Rajai Davis (8): .375/.375/.750, 1 home run, 1 RBI, 2 strikeouts

Jeff Mathis (7): .000/.000/.000, 5 strikeouts

Omar Vizquel (6): .333/.333/.333, 1 RBI, 2 strikeouts

Colby Rasmus (3): .000/.000/.000, 1 strikeout

Red Sox vs. Laffey (LHP)

Mike Aviles (13 plate appearances): .231 BA/.231 OBP/.231 SLG, 5 strikeouts

Dustin Pedroia (11): .333/.455/.667, 1 home run, 1 RBI, 2 walks

Jarrod Saltalamacchia (11): .400/.455/.400, 3 RBI, 1 walk

Jacoby Ellsbury (6): .167/.167/.167

Cody Ross (6): .167/.167/.167, 1 strikeout

Scott Podsednik (5): .000/.200/.000, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

Pedro Ciriaco (3): .000/.000/.000, 1 strikeout

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  • Jimritt

    Who cares…Losers

  • ThinkTwice

    Great news. Get healthy Chandler!

  • Ty

    Solid rookie year from Jones, he definitely has a lot of potential… could go a long way towards improving this defense

  • mikepatriot

    I’ve been worried about this guy for weeks. This is great news. Now, considering what COULD have been the worst case scenario; surgery on both ankles, i wonder if a clean Chandler will figure into BB’s drafting plans. Maybe he’ll be more inclined to stick with a roll of the dice on the two cfl guys for a complimentary rusher and open the purse strings for Talib, welker, more secondary help and possibly a better-than-Branch wide out. Happy for Jones, at any rate and happier for the fans.

  • http://www.facebook.com/vince.tammaro.5 Vince Tammaro

    let it go, it’s bogus

  • Docmbou

    Faulk is a like a whining baby, just get over it. The PATS flat out beat your team up, if they knew all of your plays the game would have been a blow out. The fact that your whining about this is a disgrace and your supposed to be a professional analyst. Your anything but a pro. I would like to see you tell Willie Mcginest to his face that they cheated, you don’t have the stones.

  • Ruth’s Truth

    the moderator for these WEEI forums are a big f-ing JOKE! 
    Sure, allow trolls to speak their opinion but when someone calls them out w/o using profanity or malice you don’t allow the comments? Whomever moderates this is a FRAUD!!! Peace EEI, you’ve lost another viewer/listener. 

  • LondonAunt

    miserable human being – still shocked at his behavior in London.

  • Tonyfranco

    I am a little confused.  How exactly does taping the Rams DEFENSIVE signals help the Patriots stop the Rams OFFENSE?

    • Enough Said

      They didn’t, and it doesn’t.

  • Jack Spygate is a Fraud

    Jack Spygate once again getting owned by Ty.. you are a fraud and your lack of response proves it

  • Highlandmg

    Give me a break. You lost.get over it.  to those saying we have not won in a while two great passes won it for other teams. so you all must think the Pats are still cheating since they are in playoffs almost every year. but stop cheating in playoff. The RAMS CHOKE Your QB CHOKE. You team Choke. You lost by 3 points > If the pats were cheating the score would have been higher.

  • Highlandmg

    so I guess the Cheater on the Ravens will not be suspended for using “grouth hormons:
    But the :Golden Boy” will play his last game and get away with cheating. No punishment. How many other Ravens are also cheating. The commish should suspended him now..

  • Hbouldry

    Grow up and become a man take responsibility. The Rams lost because Marshall Faulk sucked and then he sat out the end of the game. I did not hear Marshall complain that 2 weeks before they cheated the Buccaneers out meeting the Pats in the Superbowl . The play was so bad that the rules committee changed the rule immediately as soon as the season ended. Grow up you little baby and become a man. 

  • Hbouldry

    Phillip Rivers  wore a large white wristband because they changed the # of the plays twice a quarter he said so in an interview. Bill studied film to learn what his opposition did in certain situations. It was not to find out a Marshall Faulk was running left on play # 15 because they were changing the # constantly. Bill was learning that on third and 1 they normally went that side. The Patriots won 3 SB’s because Bill and Tom put in 20 hours a day studying. Thats also why the run is over because Tom has a family now and does not put that same amount of time studying.  

  • Anonymous

    This non story has more lives than 100 cats. I wonder if Bountygate will live as long.

    Here`s what I`ll never get over.

    21 weeks of every Patriot accomplishment being questioned.
    In week two aganist San Diego, Andrea Kreamer, before kickoff saying they were investigating reports that Chargers playbooks were missing…only to never hear about it again.
    NFL people saying it goes on all the time, including a story about the KC-Oak rivalry in the 60`s where it was common to find team officials in a tree with pad and pencil, watching the opponents practices.
    Great football minds like Sen. Arlen Spector, continuing to push for sanctions againist the Pats and coach Belichick including on Superbowl Sunday.
    Officials saying they were reaching to throw a flag for holding against the Giants on the last drive…but didn`t.
    Officials saying they were going to blow the whistle for “in the grasp” on the last drive…but didn`t.
    And my #1 pet peeve
    In the post game interview with Antonio Pierce, he said the Giants knew what play the Patriots were going to run before they ran it, and not one media member, local or national asked him to clarify. Not a unfair question based on what the Pats dealt with all season.

    The Giants deserved to win, but there are less questions to answer if the Pats loss. I really believe the NFL wasn`t above influencing a close game.

    Finally, I believe Belichick and the Pats fell on their swords. They could have opened up a can of worms that would have exposed most if not all NFL teams. They took the high road…. and have been paying for it ever since.

  • Birdman

    Every Team in the NFL did the same thing at that time, the real crime was, that not one active coach came out in his defense, not necessarily admitting that they still did it but admitting that it had been a practice that they all had taken part in, in previous years, prior the Commissioners’ Letter of that year.

    i

  • Hammer

    What a cry baby!!

  • Rick in NH

    Such drivel! Jimmy Jones has publicly admitted that every coach he knows did the same thing. The Rams had a game of smash-mouth football thrown at them and they couldn’t man up and overcome it. If the Rams were so great then why haven’t they been back to the Superbowl since? The Commisioner came out against the practice AFTER the Pats beat the Rams. What a poor loser!

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/VHOUVPXSW3EOI4D76CZOPWG2CY HonestyHurts

    Boo friggin hoo

  • Anonymous

    He’ll re-sign w/ Ravens … this is a negotiating ploy

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1227188910 Roger Surprenant

    Marshall every game could be blamed on something either a call by a referee or something else.  Grow up you cry baby.  There were no tapes ever found and every other coach interviewed with the exception of Mangenius said they did the exact same thing Bill did but in different ways.  And how did they go on to win two more Super Bowls?  They are a good football team and the Rams did not get it done in that game.  Take some responsibility or shut up.

  • Coco Peachy

    BTW taping signals was not the illegal moron. It was camera location that
    was the issue

  • Fieldsy1969

    Moron! They have a better winning percentage, and a 16-0 season since that period. Spy gate was and is nothing, ask any coach in the league. Stealing signals has been going on since day 1 in the league.

  • Hbouldry

     The facts are if was not for Oakland you could take home the losers trophy which is the only trophy SD will ever see. Listen to your own QB Phillip Rivers he knows that the player # were changed 8 times during that game. The stupidiest part is so does Marshall Faulk. He keeps denying it because he is the one that quit on SD and its fans and he is not a big enough man to admit it. I have respect for Phillip Rivers and most of your players. Do not fall into Marshalls hole. 

  • Anonymous

    Johnny AzzWipe …  2007 case vs 2002 superbowl … wake up clown

  • Gfandtj

    Every team was doing the same thing according to all the past coaches now on network TV.  How do you defend how they were the only team to go undefeated after that.  Sorry your team sucks, and that makes you feel better.  What do you think about Ray Lewis?
    Who has the balls to say he cheated and should not be playing Sunday.
    Should the Pats and Denver be watching the game when a Murder and Cheater is playing?All teams push the limits to what they can get away with.  By the way video taping off the field is legal.Do you think doing it from the field or from the booths makes a difference?Facts are they won 3 superbowls.  

  • Count25210

    You are a complete moron. They haven’t won anything? Whta team do you root for? Hmm 16-0 after being exposed. Also, every other former coach on tv admitted every team did the same thing. Look up the facts moron. You should only be so lucky as to have a team like the Pats playing in your loser city.

  • Anonymous

    Just so I’m clear, going to TWO MORE Super Bowls doesn’t count, only winning them? And here I was thinking that even making the SB was a huge feat that many teams never accomplish. I’m glad you are here to set us all straight.

    How about winning more games since 2007-2008 than before? How did the Patriots even reach either SB if their entire success was based on taping signals?

    No one is saying the “cheating” was ok because it was a long time ago. The “cheating” 2002-2003 Patriots went 9-7 and didn’t even make the playoffs. The “cheating” 2005-2006 Patriots were one and done in the playoffs. The “busted and no longer cheating” 2007-2008 Patriots broke offensive records and went undefeated in the regular season, and missed winning the SB by “thismuch”. 

    Just keep cherry picking whatever suits your argument to console yourself over your own team’s failures.

    And as far as Patriots vs. Rams, you don’t win games by throwing interceptions and fumbling the ball 3 times.

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