Chickens on the Run: ALCS Game 1: Boston at Tampa Bay

Here is some food for thought: Tampa Bay went 10-8 against the Red Sox this season.

Scouting Report:

Red Sox: Matsuzaka, the 18-game winner during the regular season, will be working on six days of rest. However, Matsuzaka labored through his Game 2 start against the Angels, throwing 108 pitches over five innings and giving up eight hits and three runs. The right-hander was dominant on the road this season, going 9-0 with a 2.37 ERA in 13 starts. Despite being in the Major Leagues for just two seasons, Matsuzaka has pitched eight times against the Rays, going 2-3 with a 2.75 ERA. Five of those starts have come at Tropicana Field, where Matsuzaka is 1-2 with a 3.41 ERA. Dice-K led the Majors this season by holding opponents to a .211 batting average.

Rays to Watch:

Akinori Iwamura: 9-24 (.375 BA) with a double, a HR, and a RBI
Carlos Pena: 5-16 (.313 BA) with 2 doubles, a HR, and 4 RBIs

And that is about it for all the good numbers against Dice K. The Rays are 27-120 (.225 BA) with 4 doubles, 4 HRs, and 13 RBIs. Evan Longoria is 1-2 with a RBI... he seems to be the workhorse that the Rays generally depend on. If he has a good series, the Rays should have a good series.

Rays: Shields got the win in Game 1 of the ALDS. He overcame a rocky third inning, in which he yielded a three-run homer to Chicago's Dewayne Wise, to turn in a respectable outing. The right-hander exited after loading the bases with one out in the seventh inning, but the Rays' bullpen held the White Sox in check to preserve the win. Shields has worked 215 innings this season -- matching his total from 2007 exactly -- and has thrown three of the Rays' seven shutouts.

Shields went 2-2 against Boston this season and 20 innings in four starts. He had a 5.85 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP against the BoSox, yeilding 20 hits, two for HRs. In the postseason, Shields has one QS and a 4.26 ERA

BoSox to Watch: