Josh Beckett

Undoubtedly the featured game in the series, both Boston and Seattle will send their respective aces to the mound in hopes of victory. Boston’s Josh Beckett enters the game 9-4 with a 2.17 ERA, good for second-best in the American League. He is 0-1 in his last three starts with a 2.84 ERA and 20 strikeouts, including a dominating performance against the Yankees Sunday.

Beckett threw six solid innings in that game, allowing one run on six hits. He earned a no-decision. One of the most consistent pitchers in baseball this season, Beckett has allowed three or less earned runs in 20 of his 22 starts in 2011. Additionally, the three-time All-Star has lasted at least six innings in all but two of his starts, one of which was due to a fifth inning rain delay. In addition to his near-best ERA Beckett ranks second in the AL in WHIP and hits per nine innings.

The Mariners will counter by sending “King Felix“ Hernandez to the hill Saturday. Hernandez (10-10, 3.31 ERA) has been given little run support throughout the season and has had many quality outings result in either losses or no-decision. He picked up a loss on Sunday against the Angels despite throwing a complete game, four-hitter with no walks and 12 strikeouts. Incredibly, it was his third outing this year with double-digit strikeouts and no walks this season. No other hurler has accomplished the feat more than once.

Hernandez has however struggled at times in his career against Red Sox hitters. Four Boston batters enter Saturday’s game with a batting average of at least .300 against the hard-throwing right-hander  including Adrian Gonzalez who has team-highs of three extra-base hits and six RBIs. As a whole, current Red Sox batters are hitting .263 against Hernandez, with a .315 on-base percentage, .339 slugging percentage, three home runs and eight doubles, in 224 at-bats.

Beckett, on the other hand, has dominated against current Mariners batters. Excluding Jamey Wright and Mike Carp who are a combined 2-for-5 against the 2003 ALCS MVP, Jack Wilson leads Seattle with a .250 batting average. Ichiro Suzuki is next with a .222 average. His on-base percentage is only slightly better, at .250. Overall, current Mariners batters are hitting .181 with a .209 on-base percentage, .265 slugging percentage, two home runs and one double in 83 at-bats. Read the rest of this entry »

Jerry Remy

NESN color commentator Jerry Remy checked in with the Dennis & Callahan show Friday morning to talk Red Sox. To hear the interview, go to the Dennis & Callahan audio on demand page.

Remy called Felix Hernandez, the Mariners’ starting pitcher Friday night, “one of the top pitchers in all of baseball.”

“If he’s on his game, it could be a very tough night for Red Sox hitters,” Remy said.

Remy said that John Lackey, Hernandez’s opponent, is trying to pitch with consistency and string together multiple quality starts.

“He’s facing a club tonight in Seattle that’s a poor offensive ball club, so hopefully that works in the Red Sox’ favor,” Remy said.

Remy also said that, based on his recent play, Josh Reddick should continue to play every day.

“You hate to sit veterans like [J.D.] Drew, but there comes a time when you have to go for the production,” Remy said. “The production right now is with Reddick, and I don’t see any reason why [Terry Francona] won’t put him in the lineup tonight against Hernandez.”

Remy credited Reddick’s success to his increased plate discipline and ability to hit the ball to all areas of the field. He added that Reddick’s performance might decrease the Red Sox’ interest in Carlos Beltran.

Said Remy: “I don’t think they’re going to give up the house to get Beltran. … If the team is healthy, they’ve got enough as it is to do what they want to do.”

Read the rest of this entry »

John Lackey

The Red Sox aren’t in Baltimore anymore.

Under literally any scenario, that would mean that they would face tougher pitching than the Baltimore staff that ranks dead last in the majors in ERA. But when the Sox face the Mariners for a three-game set starting Friday night, they’ll find themselves facing a staff that’s at the other end of the spectrum. Seattle ranks second in the AL and seventh in the majors with a 3.39 team ERA, thanks to All-Star performances by Felix Hernandez and Michael Pineda, who will take the hill Friday and Sunday, respectively. The Red Sox will counter the M’s 2010 Cy Young winner with John Lackey to start the series.

Lackey’s struggles (7-8, 6.70 ERA) are well-known to anyone who has listened to sports radio, picked up a newspaper or watched TV in the Boston area over the last three months. But there are some encouraging signs heading into Friday night’s start. The big right-hander shook off a difficult first inning (three runs allowed on four hits and an error by Marco Scutaro) in his outing last Saturday against the Rays to eventually last 5 2/3 innings of the 9-5 win. For the second start in a row, he had a season-best strikeout-to-walk ratio of 7:1 and now has only allowed three free passes over his last four starts after walking four on June 22.

In his lone start against Seattle this season on April 30, Lackey allowed just two runs in six innings but racked up his third loss when the Red Sox offense put up a goose egg on the Fenway Park scoreboard. Friday night, he will face Ichiro Suzuki for the 101st time, the most he’s seen any major leaguer.

Hernandez (8-8, 3.26 ERA) hasn’t faced any big leaguer that much, never mind anyone on the Red Sox, but he does have some experience against this Boston squad. On May 1, he held the powerful Sox offense to just two runs over seven innings and retired as many as 12 consecutive hitters at one point. But like Lackey, Hernandez’s win total was not a beneficiary of that performance as the M’s totaled just two runs before Carl Crawford hit a walk-off single up the middle to give the Sox a 3-2 victory. The hard-throwing All-Star would seemingly be used to such a scenario, however. The Seattle offense averages just 3.61 runs in Hernandez starts, and believe it or not, that number is actually higher than its MLB-worst average of 3.24 runs per game regardless of who is on the mound.

The Red Sox offense itself may have its own struggles though with Hernandez pitching. Every Red Sox hitter with substantial experience against the righty has struck out multiple times with Jarrod Saltalamacchia and J.D. Drew leading the way with 7 K’s each. However, expect Drew to be playing in right field Friday because his .360 average, 1.067 OPS and two home runs against Hernandez are team-highs.  Read the rest of this entry »

Another year. Another strong season from Felix Hernandez. Another not-so strong season from the Mariners. Another July with teams that are looking for starting pitching calling Seattle to see if they can pry “King Felix” from the Pacific Northwest.

And another time that the answer is again, “No.” That’s what Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik told FOXSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal he’s telling potential suitors.

“Right now, there is no motivation to move him. We’re happy as well with him. We hope he’s here for a long time. It’s nice to know that every fifth day we’ve got Felix Hernandez pitching. That has been my stance all along.”

Hernandez is 8-8 with a 3.26 ERA in a league-high 21 starts this season after winning the Cy Young award in 2010 with a MLB-low 2.27 ERA and AL-high 249 2/3 innings pitched.

Rosenthal reports that the Yankees “occasionally call to see if the Mariners will reconsider their position on Hernandez,” but the answer continues to remain the same.

Tim Wakefield

After Clay Buchholz was scratched from his start Sunday with a stomach illness, it will be Tim Wakefield who toes the rubber against Seattle for his first start of the season. Wakefield has made seven appearances out of the bullpen so far, notching a 5.56 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and no record in 11 1/3 innings.

Wakefield has struggled with the Mariners in his career. He is 4-10 with a 4.18 ERA and 1.41 WHIP in 27 career outings, including 17 starts. Wakefield lost his only start against Seattle last season, giving up four runs (three earned) on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings.

Current Mariners are hitting .272 against Wakefield. Jack Cust has done the most damage, as he is hitting .440 with four extra-base hits and five RBIs in 25 at-bats. Adam Kennedy, Miguel Olivo and Milton Bradley all have a home run and three RBIs off Wakefield.

If Wakefield’s poor record against Seattle wasn’t enough of a reason for Sox fans to be concerned, there’s also the fact that Felix Hernandez will be on the mound for the Mariners. The reigning American League Cy Young winner is 3-2 with a 3.32 ERA this season. He has won each of his last two starts against Oakland and Detroit, respectively, allowing just two earned runs on eight hits and five walks over 13 2/3 innings.

Moreover, Hernandez is 4-1 with a 2.91 ERA in eight career starts against Boston. He won his only start against the Sox last season, allowing just one earned run on four hits and a walk while striking out nine over 7 1/3 innings.

Current Red Sox are hitting .259 against Hernandez. J.D. Drew leads the way with a .391 average and two home runs in 23 at-bats. Adrian Gonzalez, David Ortiz and Mike Cameron all have a homer off Hernandez, too. Read the rest of this entry »

Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz‘ breakout 2010 season will end in disappointing fashion, as the 26-year-old has been scratched from his scheduled start against the Yankees on Saturday due to a stiff lower back. Tim Wakefield will get the start in Buchholz’ place.

Buchholz concludes his first full year in the Red Sox rotation with a 17-7 record and a 2.33 ERA that ranked second in the American League to Felix Hernandez (2.27) of the Seattle Mariners. He made 28 starts and pitched 173 2/3 innings, joining Jon Lester to give the Red Sox two All-Star starters atop their rotation. Buchholz struck out 120 and walked 67, holding opponents to a measly .226 average and nine homers.

Wakefield gets his 19th start of the year, and his first since Sept. 8. The 44-year-old is 4-10 with a 5.20 ERA.