Chickens on the Run: Game 144: Rangers vs. Red Sox

Today is my wife's birthday! Yeah! Again, I am putting this together, but really, when this posts, it will be my wife's birthday.

Scouting Report:

Red Sox: Byrd allowed three homers in his last outing against the Orioles, but all of them were solo shots. It was a night where balls were moving particularly smoothly through the Boston night at Fenway Park, and Byrd's offense provided enough fire power to earn the right-hander a 6-4 victory. Byrd is now 7-1 since July 21. He'll make his next start against the Rangers, a team he's yet to face in the 2008 campaign.

Rangers: McCarthy earned his first Major League victory in more than a year on Tuesday. He allowed just two runs in six innings on four hits. He struck out four and walked none against a Mariners lineup that had scored 12 runs the night before. The victory was not only his first in three starts for the Rangers this season, but it was also his first since July 31 of last season. Sunday will mark McCarthy's first start against an American League East team this season. He's 1-2 in his career against Boston with a 5.21 ERA in six appearances, including three starts.

McCarthy has a 2.25 ERA in three starts this season, and has pitched good enough to grab a win in all three, despite that the Rangers are 1-2 when he starts. He has struggled with the Red Sox in his past, mostly with control problems. He has 10 walks in 19 innings against the Red Sox, but has only issued 5 walks in 16 innings this season (and only one in his last twelve).

The current Sox roster is 10-47 (.213 BA) against McCarthy with 2 doubles, 2 HRs and 8 RBIs. And if McCarthy continues just how good he has been in his first three starts, he should be tough in this game. I really do not see him changing just how good he has become... although it is still "just three starts". Something notable, he has received advice and instruction from the express...

Notable Suckers:

Kevin Youkilis: 0-8
David Ortiz: 1-7
Jason Varitek: 0-7 with a RBI

I thought I would point out the bad and the ugly.

Paul Byrd is 10-11 this season with a 4.58 ERA and in his last seven starts, he has gone 6 or more innings, including a complete game against Toronto on August 9th. Four other starts have also gone 7 innings or more, making it easy for him to grab a decision for those games.

He has a 3-5 record against the Rangers and a 6.40 ERA. Rangers pound him for a .306 batting average and have hit 8 HRs in 52 career innings.

Rangers to Watch:

Michael Young: 8-25 (.320 BA) with a double, a triple and 7 RBIs
Marlon Byrd: 3-10 (.300 BA) with a triple
Nelson Cruz: 4-8 (.500 BA)

Forecast: Seriously, if McCarthy can close the door on Big Papi, then McCarthy can take them to school. Byrd could get pounded... but I doubt that. He is pretty hot right now, so I expect him to grab some innings in this one. This should be another tight game, but more than likely a low scoring affair. Score: 3-2, BoSox.