After a brief hiatus (since we no longer blame anything on Claude Julien, let’s go ahead and assign the Kendrick Perkins trade as responsible for the three-plus weeks of Power Rankings inactivity) here we go with the return of the 2011 WEEI.com Major League Baseball Power Rankings. Every Thursday (or as close as we can get) throughout the season we will be bringing you an updated version of the list, which will be determined by record, ranking within each team’s division and which team would have the best chance at winning if participating in a best-of-seven series.

Feel free to pick apart the admittedly imperfect rankings by emailing kminihane@weei.com or sending a message via Twitter to twitter.com/kirkmin. Have at it.

(Note: Team record and last ranking are in parentheses and all stats are through 5/17.)

1. Indians (26-13, 6). Not exactly a tough choice, and I think we’ve past the point of questioning if this team is for real. They might not win 95 games, but with a five-game lead in a mediocre division is there anyone who really believes they won’t — at the very least — be in the AL Central mix all year?

2. Phillies (25-16, 3). Lost four straight to Atlanta and St. Louis despite only allowing a total of 13 runs. Marco Scutaro (.625) has a higher OPS than Raul Ibanez (.618) and Wilson Valdez has played 36 games at second base with a .298 slugging percentage (looks like Chase Utley will be back next week).

3. Braves (25-19, 13). A run differential of plus-44, second only to the Indians, the Braves are 17-8 since the last edition of the power rankings. The starting pitching has carried this team (the Braves are 11th in the NL in OBP, ninth in OPS) with a group ERA of 2.83.

4. Reds (25-17, 8). Joey Votto (leading the NL in walks, OBP, second in OPS and fifth in slugging) looks like a legitimate candidate in his quest to win back-to-back MVP’s. If he accomplishes the feat, he’ll be just the second Cincinnati player to do so, joining Joe Morgan (1975, 1976). Ironically, if Votto says something so something stupid on television that leads me to throwing my remote at the screen he’ll be just the second person to do so, joining Joe Morgan (1989-2010).

5. Marlins (24-16, 9). Of the 93 NL players currently eligible to qualify for the batting title, Hanley Ramirez ranks 89th in slugging percentage.

6. Cardinals (24-19, 16). As good as Votto has been, Lance Berkman is the quarter-pole leader in the NL MVP race. He leads the league in RBI, slugging (.688, 92 points higher than second-place Ryan Braun) and is hitting .352. In 37 games with the Yankees last year Berkman had a combined total of 18 runs and RBI. In his first 38 games with the Cardinals he has a combined total of 66 runs and RBI.

Read the rest of this entry »

Riding a six-game win streak heading into this weekend’s interleague series against the Chicago Cubs, it’s safe to say the Red Sox have started firing on all cylinders. Still, looming doubts about the back of the rotation only intensified with Daisuke Matsuzaka‘s recent elbow injury. The right-hander was sent to the disabled list with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament.

Matsuzaka had struggled mightily in his last two starts, giving up a combined nine earned runs in just over ten innings. To fill the open spot in the rotation, Terry Francona will turn to Alfredo Aceves to pitch in a rare start opposite Carlos Zambrano.

The former Yankee has started only five games in his three-year career, and four of those starts came as a rookie back in 2008. Aceves (1-0, 2.60 ERA) has a solid lifetime ERA of 2.10 in 26.1 innings as a starter, but he’s been a full-time reliever since 2009 and has never gone deeper than seven innings. Aceves did get the win in his last appearance, a strong three-inning relief performance on May 16th in which he gave up one run on two hits. With the Sox trailing Baltimore 6-0, Aceves pitched well enough to keep his team in the game, and Boston eventually came back to win, 8-7, on Adrian Gonzalez‘ walk-off double.

As is often the case in interleague play, the Cubs have had very limited experience against Aceves. Only Carlos Pena (0-3) and Marlon Byrd (1-2) have ever faced the Mexican right-hander, who will be making his first appearance against Chicago.

On the other hand, several Red Sox hitters have had a decent look at Zambrano (4-2, 4.89 ERA), including Gonzalez (3-15), J.D. Drew (3-15) and Mike Cameron (2-19). Still, the Venezuelan righty has held Boston to a combined .175 batting average in 75 total plate appearances. Believe it or not, Josh Beckett has the team’s second-highest batting average off the Cubs starter. Although he almost certainly won’t be hitting at Fenway, Beckett has two hits in seven plate appearances (.286) against Zambrano, to go along with three strikeouts.

Zambrano has been a bit shaky in his last two starts, which were both losses for Chicago. He gave up six runs on six hits and three walks against Cincinnati on Monday, and surrendered four runs on eight hits to St. Louis a week earlier. The 29-year-old has gotten off to some slow starts in the past few years; from 2009-2011, his combined ERA in April and May is 4.90. Still, Zambrano has managed to finish with an ERA under 4.00 in each of the last nine years, and with his success (however limited) against Boston, he could be poised for a turnaround on Saturday.

CUBS VS. ACEVES

Marlon Byrd has a walk, a strikeout and a double in three career plate appearances against Aceves. Carlos Pena has gone 0-3 with two strikeouts against Aceves in three plate appearances.

Jeff Baker, Darwin Barney, Welington Castillo, Starlin Castro, Blake DeWitt, Kosuke Fukudome, Koyie Hill, Reed Johnson, Aramis Ramirez, and Alfonso Soriano have never faced the right-hander.

RED SOX VS. ZAMBRANO

Mike Cameron (20 career plate appearances): .105 BA/.150 OBP/.105 SLG, 2 RBI,1 walk, 7 strikeouts

J.D. Drew (20): .200/.400/.533, 2 RBI, 5 walks, 6 strikeouts

Adrian Gonzalez (19): .200/.368/.200, 1 RBI, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts

Josh Beckett (7): .286/.286/.286, 3 strikeouts

Carlos Crawford (4): .333/.500/.667, 1 double, 1 walk

David Ortiz has gone hitless with a strikeout in three career plate appearances vs. Zambrano, but he does have one walk.

Jason Varitek has faced the Cubs starter twice, going 0-2 with a strikeout.

Jacoby Ellsbury, Jed Lowrie, Darnell McDonald, Dustin Pedroia, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Kevin Youkilis have never faced Zambrano.

Daisuke Matsuzaka

There is indeed life for the Red Sox after a three-game sweep of the Yankees, even if said sweep was the first to occur in the Bronx since April 2004. That life begins quickly Monday night when Boston, the newest member of the .500 club at 20-20, sets its sights on the Baltimore Orioles (19-20) in the first of a two-game set at Fenway Park. Daisuke Matsuzaka will try to extend the winning streak when he takes the hill against Baltimore’s Chris Tillman.

Matsuzaka (3-3, 4.64 ERA) will take the hill on seven days’ rest, his longest break between starts this season, after being skipped over in the Yankees series. This will be the third time in 2011 that the righty has pitched on more than the regular four days between outings. The extra time off worked quite well back on Patriots Day when Matsuzaka surrendered just one hit and one walk over seven innings in a 9-1 Sox win over Toronto after resting for six days. However 11 days later in his second start with extra rest (five days), he lasted just four innings (3H, 3R, 1 ER, 4BB, 4K) before leaving early with what was deemed elbow stiffness.

In nine career starts against the O’s, the 30-year-old is 4-3 with a 5.73 ERA. Current Baltimore hitters have performed fairly well, led by switch-hitting catcher Matt Wieters’s 6-for-11 performance. With almost twice the experience, Brian Roberts (9-for-20, 4 doubles) has performed equally as admirably.

But if those numbers look scary for the Sox’ prospects of finally bursting through the .500 bubble, those hopes may be restored by looking at the stats for Tillman (2-3, 6.15). The Baltimore righty’s ERA is the highest among the five starters of a staff that ranks second-to-last in the American League in that category.

Tillman only has one career start against Boston and was knocked around for four earned runs over just 1-1/3 innings of work in an 11-0 loss on June 4 of last season. Although lefty Carl Crawford (6-for-12, two triples) may be the only Sox player with more than three appearances against the Baltimore righty, Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis may be the biggest benefactors of Tillman’s start Monday night as right-handed hitters have blasted him to the tune of a .352 average in 2011. By comparison, lefties are hitting nearly .100 points lower at .253. Read the rest of this entry »

Jon Lester

After four straight wins and six straight quality starts, Jon Lester struggled on Tuesday against the Blue Jays. He gave up five runs on seven hits and five walks over 5 1/3 innings and came away with a no decision. He’ll look to rebound from that start in Sunday night’s series finale against the Yankees.

Lester, who is 4-1 with a 2.96 ERA this season, is 6-1 with a 3.28 ERA in 12 career starts against the Yankees. He was especially dominant last year, when he went 3-0 with a 2.13 ERA in four starts versus New York.

Current Yankees are hitting just .236 against Lester. Nick Swisher, Jorge Posada and Curtis Granderson are all hitting under .200. Alex Rodriguez has three home runs and six RBIs in 26 at-bats, but he’s batting just .231. Derek Jeter has had the most success against Lester, as he is hitting .333 in 36 ABs.

Getting the start for the Yankees will be Freddy Garcia, who is 2-2 with a 2.61 ERA this season. After getting saddled with back-to-back losses, he picked up his second win on Tuesday when he held the Royals to one run on six hits over six innings. He pitched an inning out of the bullpen against the Sox back on April 10 and gave up one run in one inning of work.

In his career, Garcia is 8-2 with a 4.44 ERA in 17 appearances against Boston. Current Sox are hitting .248 against him. Carl Crawford leads the way with a .333 average, one homer and two RBIs in 18 ABs. David Ortiz has two long bombs and six RBIs in 33 ABs, but he’s hitting just .242. Read the rest of this entry »

Josh Beckett

Saturday night features the premier pitching matchup of this weekend’s series, as Josh Beckett squares off against CC Sabathia. They’ve already met once this season. Back on April 10, Beckett shut the Yankees down in a 4-0 Red Sox win, allowing two hits and no runs while striking out 10 over eight innings. Sabathia gave up just one run, but the Sox made him work and chased him from the game in the sixth inning.

Beckett, who is 2-1 with a 1.99 ERA this season, has continued to pitch well since then, but he has registered just one win in his last five outings to go along with four no-decisions. He hasn’t allowed a run in his last 13 innings, most recently holding the Twins scoreless for seven on Monday.

Beckett is 11-7 with a 5.90 ERA in 23 career starts against New York, and current Yankees are hitting .272 against him. Robinson Cano has had the most success, as he is hitting .339 with three home runs, 12 RBIs and five walks in 66 career plate appearances against Beckett. Mark Teixeira is hitting just .205 with 15 strikeouts in 39 at-bats, but he also has two homers and eight walks.

Sabathia is 3-2 with a 2.89 ERA this year, but he has give up three or more runs in each of his last five starts. In his last start against the Rangers on Sunday, Sabathia allowed five runs (three earned) on five hits and four walks over six innings, but he still ended up with the W.

With the loss back in April, Sabathia fell to 6-6 with a 3.35 ERA in 16 career starts against Boston. Current Sox are hitting .258 against him. Kevin Youkilis has done the most damage with a .433 average, two homers, five RBIs and six walks in 37 plate appearances. At the other end of the spectrum, Dustin Pedroia is hitting just .188 with no RBIs and eight strikeouts in 32 ABs. Read the rest of this entry »

Clay Buchholz

The Red Sox and Yankees open their second head-to-head series of the season Friday night when Clay Buchholz matches up against former Sox righty Bartolo Colon. Buchholz, who is 3-3 with a 4.19 ERA on the season, will be looking for his third straight win. He has allowed just two runs on 10 hits and three walks over 11 2/3 innings in his last two starts.

Buchholz faced the Yankees back on April 9 and was rocked to the tune of five runs (four earned) on eight hits and three walks over 3 2/3 innings. That outing was punctuated by a three-run homer off the bat of Russell Martin that knocked Buchholz out of the game.

Buchholz has never fared well against the Yankees, as he is 1-3 with a 6.25 ERA in six career starts against them. Current Yankees are hitting .317 against him, led by Robinson Cano’s .529 mark in 17 at-bats. Mark Teixeira has two homers and five RBIs in 12 ABs. One of the only Yankees who has struggled with Buchholz is Curtis Granderson, who 0-for-8 with four strikeouts, although he also has four walks.

Colon, who is 2-1 with a 3.86 ERA this year, came out of the bullpen against the Sox on April 8 and ended up with the loss after giving up two runs (one earned) over 4 1/3 innings. That marked the first time in six years he faced the Sox, against whom he is 8-10 with a 4.13 ERA in 23 career appearances.

Current Sox are batting just .171 against Colon. David Ortiz has had a particularly tough time, going 5-for-41 (.122) with 15 strikeouts. Adrian Gonzalez, who is 3-for-10 with a homer, is the only player hitting .300 or better against him. Jason Varitek has also had some success, as he is hitting .273 with two homers and four RBIs in 33 ABs.

RED SOX VS. COLON

David Ortiz (45): .122/.200/.146, 1 RBI, 4 walks, 15 strikeouts

Mike Cameron (38): .088/.184/.176, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 4 walks, 11 strikeouts

Jason Varitek (35): .273/.314/.545, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 1 walk, 13 strikeouts

Carl Crawford (32): .194/.219/.258, 2 RBI, 1 walk, 8 strikeouts

Adrian Gonzalez (10): .300/.300/.600, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 5 strikeouts

J.D. Drew (9): .222/.222/.222, 2 RBI, 3 strikeouts

Jarrod Saltalamacchia (4): .250/.250/.500, 1 RBI, 2 strikeouts

Kevin Youkilis (4): .000/.250/.000, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts

Jacoby Ellsbury (2): .000/.000/.000

Dustin Pedroia (2): .000/.000/.000, 1 strikeout

Jed Lowrie and Darnell McDonald have never faced Colon.

YANKEES VS. BUCHHOLZ

Alex Rodriguez (18 career plate appearances): .375 BA/.444 OBP/.563 SLG, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 walks, 1 strikeout

Derek Jeter (17): .357/.471/.357, 2 RBI, 2 walks, 1 strikeout

Robinson Cano (17): .529/.529/.706, 1 strikeout

Nick Swisher (14): .200/.385/.200, 1 RBI, 3 walks, 1 strikeout

Mark Teixeira (13): .333/.385/.833, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts

Curtis Granderson (12): .000/.333/.000, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts

Brett Gardner (9): .125/.125/.125, 2 strikeouts

Francisco Cervelli (6): .500/.500/.500, 3 RBI, 1 strikeout

Jorge Posada (5): .000/.200/.000, 1 walk

Russell Martin (5): .200/.200/.800, 1 HR, 3 RBI

Ramiro Pena (2): .500/.500/1.000

Andruw Jones (2): .500/.500/1.000

Eduardo Nunez has never faced Buchholz.

John Lackey

John Lackey will look to rebound from a horrendous start last Thursday against the Angels when he takes on the Blue Jays Wednesday night. He gave up eight runs on 10 hits and three walks over four innings in that last outing, picking up his fourth loss of the season in the process. It marked the third time this season Lackey has given up at least six runs, although it was his first non-quality start in four outings, as he had allowed just three runs in his previous three starts combined.

Lackey is 4-5 with a 4.58 ERA in 15 career starts against the Blue Jays. He faced them four times last year and did not fare well, as he came away with a 1-2 record and 8.61 ERA.

Current Jays are batting .254 against Lackey. Adam Lind has absolutely destroyed him, as he is 10-for-18 with five RBIs. Luckily for Lackey, Lind will likely miss the game with back spasms, according to the Toronto Sun. Jose Bautista has two home runs, but those are his only two hits in 11 at-bats (although he also has five walks). Six of the eight Jays with nine or more ABs against Lackey are hitting under .200.

Getting the start for Toronto will be Jesse Litsch, who is 3-2 with a 4.04 ERA this season. Litsch has gone at least six innings in five of his six starts this year, but he has yet to go more than 6 1/3 in any of those outings. Most recently, he picked up a victory over the Tigers by allowing one run on four hits and three walks over 6 1/3 innings.

Litsch won four of his first five decisions against the Sox, but he’s lost the last two, including his only start against them last season. Current Sox are hitting .262 against him. Carl Crawford, Jacoby Ellsbury and Darnell McDonald are all batting at least .333 with a homer. Jason Varitek and Jed Lowrie have struggled the most, as they are a combined 1-for-15. Read the rest of this entry »