Red Sox (89-70) at Baltimore Orioles (67-92)
SP - Josh Beckett (13-6, 2.70) vs. Tommy Hunter (4-4, 4.86)
*** Red Sox Magic Number to Clinch a Playoff Spot - 3 ***
1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
2. Carl Crawford, LF
3. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
4. David Ortiz, DH
5. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
6. Jed Lowrie, 3B
7. J.D. Drew, RF
8. Jason Varitek, C
9. Marco Scutaro, SS
Three Strikes:
1. Josh Beckett had better put his money where his mouth is tonight. The Red Sox "ace" has not earned his check in a meaningful game since Game 6 of the 2008 ALCS. Beckett needs to put the Orioles bats to sleep and let the bullpen get some much needed rest after a long Sunday in New York for me to even think about removing the quotation marks around ace.
2. Jacoby Ellsbury's three-run home run in the 14th inning of last night's potentially season saving win in New York could boost him to the top of the MVP discussion and could be the defining moment of the 2011 season if the Red Sox somehow win the World Series. This team was dead in the water before he took Scott Proctor deep and maintained the Red Sox Wild Card lead over the Rays at 1 game.
Ellsbury has definitely had an MVP season - 208 hits, .322 BA, 31 HR, 103 RBI, .377 OBP, .928 OPS, and 38 SB - and clutch hits like his game-winning blast last night help make his case.
3. PLAYOFF RACE: The Rays (1 game behind the Red Sox) start a three-game series with the Yankees in Tampa Bay. It goes without saying that Red Sox Nation is pulling for the Pinstripes for the next three days.
The Angels (3 games behind the Red Sox) will be eliminated with either a Red Sox win or if they lose to the Rangers, who they are hosting for the final three games.
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