JOHN LACKEY (6-2, 2.46)
The Angels? right-hander has not pitched particularly well in his past two starts, allowing 15 hits and six earned runs in a no-decision at Texas and eight hits and five earned runs in a loss to Toronto. In his two July starts, he has an ERA of 8.49 and allowed opponents to hit .404, and he has now allowed as many earned runs in July (11) and he did in May (6) and June (5) combined. But opening the second half against the Red Sox, Lackey could be considered the better of three evils even though he is only 1-2 with an ERA of 5.53 and an opponent?s batting average of .344 against Boston over the past three years. Jon Garland (2-3, 6.00) and Jered Weaver (0-2, 5.46) haven?t had any more success. The last three times Lackey has taken the mound against the Red Sox the Angels have lost 4-0, 8-4 and 10-1.
Lackey vs. the Red Sox:
Ortiz: 10 for 26, .385; 2 HR, 9 RBI
Ramirez: 10 for 23, .435; 4 HR, 11 RBI
Crisp: 4 for 22, .182; 2 HR, 2 RBI
Varitek: 5 for 18, .278; 0 HR, 2 RBI
Lugo: 4 for 18, .222; 0 HR, 0 RBI
Cora: 5 for 15, .333; 0 HR, 1 RBI
Lowell: 3 for 12, .250; 0 HR, 1 RBI
Drew: 5 for 11, .455; 0 HR, 1 RBI
Youkilis: 3 for 10, .300; 0 HR, 0 RBI
Pedroia: 2 for 6, .333; 0 HR, 0 RBI
Casey: 0 for 1, .000; 0 HR, 0 RBI
CLAY BUCHHOLZ (2-4, 5.70)
Buchholz returned from a stint on the disabled list (broken nail, right middle finger) and trip to the minor leagues on July 11 and was knocked around by the Baltimore Orioles ? the team he had no-hit in his second major league start. He gave up five hits, five walks and four earned runs in just five innings, pushing his ERA to 5.70 in nine starts. The 23-year-old Buchholz has not been effective away from home, going 0-3 with an ERA of 8.64 and an opponent?s batting average of .318, and has been hit hard early in his past three starts. In those games, he has been scored upon in the first inning twice and allowed 10 runs within the first three innings. The right-hander made his major league debut against the Angels on Aug. 17, 2007, allowing eight hits and three earned runs in six innings of an 8-4 victory at Fenway Park.
Buchholz vs. the Angels:
Anderson: 1 for 3, .333; 0 HR 2 RBI
Guerrero: 2 for 3, .667; 0 HR, 1 RBI
Matthews: 0 for 3, .000; 0 HR, 0 RBI
Kotchman: 3 for 3, 1.000; 0 HR, 0 RBI
Willits: 0 for 3, .000; 0 HR, 0 RBI
Aybar: 0 for 3, .000; 0 HR, 0 RBI
Figgins: 1 for 1, 1.000; 0 HR, 0 RBI
Mathis: 0 for 1, .000; 0 HR, 1 RBI
===============
Tonight?s lineups
Boston:
CF Ellsbury
2B Pedroia
RF Drew
LF Ramirez
3B Lowell
1B Youkilis
DH Casey
C Varitek
SS Cora
SP Buchholz
The Angels:
3B Figgins
1B Kotchman
SS Izturis
RF Guerrero
CF Hunter
DH Anderson
LF Rivera
2B Kendrick
C Mathis
SP Lackey
The Angels? right-hander has not pitched particularly well in his past two starts, allowing 15 hits and six earned runs in a no-decision at Texas and eight hits and five earned runs in a loss to Toronto. In his two July starts, he has an ERA of 8.49 and allowed opponents to hit .404, and he has now allowed as many earned runs in July (11) and he did in May (6) and June (5) combined. But opening the second half against the Red Sox, Lackey could be considered the better of three evils even though he is only 1-2 with an ERA of 5.53 and an opponent?s batting average of .344 against Boston over the past three years. Jon Garland (2-3, 6.00) and Jered Weaver (0-2, 5.46) haven?t had any more success. The last three times Lackey has taken the mound against the Red Sox the Angels have lost 4-0, 8-4 and 10-1.
Lackey vs. the Red Sox:
Ortiz: 10 for 26, .385; 2 HR, 9 RBI
Ramirez: 10 for 23, .435; 4 HR, 11 RBI
Crisp: 4 for 22, .182; 2 HR, 2 RBI
Varitek: 5 for 18, .278; 0 HR, 2 RBI
Lugo: 4 for 18, .222; 0 HR, 0 RBI
Cora: 5 for 15, .333; 0 HR, 1 RBI
Lowell: 3 for 12, .250; 0 HR, 1 RBI
Drew: 5 for 11, .455; 0 HR, 1 RBI
Youkilis: 3 for 10, .300; 0 HR, 0 RBI
Pedroia: 2 for 6, .333; 0 HR, 0 RBI
Casey: 0 for 1, .000; 0 HR, 0 RBI
CLAY BUCHHOLZ (2-4, 5.70)
Buchholz returned from a stint on the disabled list (broken nail, right middle finger) and trip to the minor leagues on July 11 and was knocked around by the Baltimore Orioles ? the team he had no-hit in his second major league start. He gave up five hits, five walks and four earned runs in just five innings, pushing his ERA to 5.70 in nine starts. The 23-year-old Buchholz has not been effective away from home, going 0-3 with an ERA of 8.64 and an opponent?s batting average of .318, and has been hit hard early in his past three starts. In those games, he has been scored upon in the first inning twice and allowed 10 runs within the first three innings. The right-hander made his major league debut against the Angels on Aug. 17, 2007, allowing eight hits and three earned runs in six innings of an 8-4 victory at Fenway Park.
Buchholz vs. the Angels:
Anderson: 1 for 3, .333; 0 HR 2 RBI
Guerrero: 2 for 3, .667; 0 HR, 1 RBI
Matthews: 0 for 3, .000; 0 HR, 0 RBI
Kotchman: 3 for 3, 1.000; 0 HR, 0 RBI
Willits: 0 for 3, .000; 0 HR, 0 RBI
Aybar: 0 for 3, .000; 0 HR, 0 RBI
Figgins: 1 for 1, 1.000; 0 HR, 0 RBI
Mathis: 0 for 1, .000; 0 HR, 1 RBI
===============
Tonight?s lineups
Boston:
CF Ellsbury
2B Pedroia
RF Drew
LF Ramirez
3B Lowell
1B Youkilis
DH Casey
C Varitek
SS Cora
SP Buchholz
The Angels:
3B Figgins
1B Kotchman
SS Izturis
RF Guerrero
CF Hunter
DH Anderson
LF Rivera
2B Kendrick
C Mathis
SP Lackey
