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Posted: **Fri Aug 10, 2007 10:36 am**

Friday, 7:05 PM EST: Matsuzaka/Bedard. Loss.
Saturday, 3:55 PM EST: Beckett/Burres. Win.
Sunday, 1:35 PM EST: Schilling/Trachsel. Win.

Posted: **Fri Aug 10, 2007 5:04 pm**

Boston (69-45) at Baltimore (52-60)
Friday, 7:05 p.m. ET
By Larry Santana / MLB.com

Boston's Daisuke Matsuzaka has been baffling hitters, forcing them back to the dugout with fruitless at-bats ending in Ks, with alarming regularity. The overpowering rookie is just three strikeouts shy of tying Ken Brett's rookie club record of 152.
He has fanned fewer than five batters only twice in his last 10 appearances, totaling 67 strikeouts over that span. It is a mark ironically befitting of the phoenetic pronunciation of the man's name: Dice-K.

No dice, sit down, have a nice K.

With Baltimore sitting in fourth place in the American League East, Matsuzaka and his first-place Sox will look for the O's to help them extend their lead over the rival Bronx Bombers, winners in eight of their last 10 while systematically slashing a divisional deficit once thought insurmountable.

But Baltimore's surging second baseman, Brian Roberts, may disrupt Boston's plans. In his last 10 games, Roberts boasts a .341 average with 14 hits and 11 RBIs. His .315 average leads the club.

Pitching matchup

BOS: RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka (13-8, 3.70 ERA)
Matsuzaka earned his 13th win of the year Saturday night in Seattle, allowing six hits and two runs -- both solo home runs -- over seven innings of work. He walked two and tied a career high with 10 strikeouts.

BAL: LHP Erik Bedard (12-4, 3.09 ERA)
Bedard pitched 6 2/3 innings on Sunday in an 11-3 triumph over Tampa Bay. The left-hander allowed three earned runs, struck out 11 batters and walked none en route to his career-best eighth consecutive victory. In July, he became the first Baltimore recipient of an American League Pitcher of the Month Award since Ben McDonald accomplished the feat more than 13 years ago. Bedard has faced the Red Sox only once this season, limiting them to two hits in six scoreless innings July 31 to get the win.

Posted: **Sat Aug 11, 2007 2:31 am**

trade Gagne...so much for a great bullpen

Posted: **Sat Aug 11, 2007 2:35 am**

This team sucks. Plain and simple.

Posted: **Sat Aug 11, 2007 2:41 am**

That sucked.

So much for Mr. 82 saves in a row.

Posted: **Sat Aug 11, 2007 2:44 am**

And what the hell is Francona doing leaving Gagne in to give up a 4 run lead?

Posted: **Sat Aug 11, 2007 2:50 am**

canman1971 wrote:And what the hell is Francona doing leaving Gagne in to give up a 4 run lead?

When there were runners on 2nd and 3rd, Tito should have yanked him. It was obvious that Gagne didn't have his best stuff tonight.

I thought the bullpen was supposed to be one of our strengths?

Posted: **Sat Aug 11, 2007 2:51 am**

I've always hated Gagne... my god. He's been so terrible so far.

Posted: **Sat Aug 11, 2007 2:53 am**

mr_sunshine wrote:I've always hated Gagne... my god. He's been so terrible so far.

That's what happens when you get off the 'roids.

Posted: **Sat Aug 11, 2007 12:22 pm**

Give me a break it's not like Gagne got off of anything right before he joined the Sox. Man some of you guys are funny. Guy becomes a bum when he has a bad outing.

Posted: **Sat Aug 11, 2007 10:58 pm**

What an absolutely dominant performance by Beckett. Kind of sucks that he gets charged with 2 runs as Lowell should've made that play to end the game and it really should've been a shutout. Oh well...a win will do.

Posted: **Sun Aug 12, 2007 5:34 am**

sunshinekids99 wrote:Give me a break it's not like Gagne got off of anything right before he joined the Sox. Man some of you guys are funny. Guy becomes a bum when he has a bad outing.

He's had several. I've, like I said, never liked him. I saw him a lot when he played for LA since I live in AZ now and am subjected to watching the D-backs games all too often. I don't think he's ever roided, just that he's had too many injuries to be on his A-game now.

Posted: **Sun Aug 12, 2007 1:25 pm**

He doesn't have to be his dominate self to be effective for the Sox. People make it sound like he's a chump cause he got off to a rocky start with the Sox. He proved he can still be a very good pitcher in Texas and I expect him to show that in Boston as well.

Posted: **Sun Aug 12, 2007 8:27 pm**

Gagne proves your point for you.

Still, it's only a couple innings. **** happens.

Posted: **Sun Aug 12, 2007 10:01 pm**

Where the hell was Papelbon?

Was Tito saving him for the 15th inning when we might have gotten the lead?

His BP management cost us 2 games this weekend.

Posted: **Mon Aug 13, 2007 1:17 am**

Really had no excuse to not sweep this series. Hopefully this doesn't end up biting us in the ass down the road.

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Sox @ O's (8/10, 8/11, 8/12)

Sox @ O's (8/10, 8/11, 8/12)