Chicago hope
After his White Sox clinched the American League Central division yesterday afternoon with a 4-2 win over the Detroit Tigers, manager Ozzie Guillen said he has too much respect for the Yankees and Red Sox to field anything less than a competitive team this weekend against the Cleveland Indians, who are neck-in-neck for the AL wild card lead with the Red Sox.
Still, it’s hard to imagine staff aces Mark Buerhle and Jon Garland throwing more than a few innings in their starts this weekend, as Guillen’s Sox get ready for the playoffs (slated to start Tuesday in Chicago, barring two one-game playoff games for the AL East and wild card) for the first time in five years. How much of an advantage that gives the Indians this weekend remains to be seen. But all eyes at Fenway will certainly be on the Green Monster scoreboard tonight through Sunday monitoring the progress as Boston fans root for not one, but a pair of Sox.
Tonight, David Wells goes up against Chien Ming Wang, with the Yankees clinging to a one-game lead in the East. The last time the Yankees visited Boston, Wang was scratched from his weekend start and placed on the disabled list with an injured right shoulder, feared gone for the season by manager Joe Torre. Since returning from the DL earlier this month, he is 2-1 with a 4.44 ERA. As for Wells, he is 3-1 with a 4.65 ERA in his last five starts, including an 8-4 loss against the Yankees on Sept. 9.
Temperatures are expected to be hovering in the upper 50s by game time in Boston. Be sure to check this space frequently throughout the evening as we’ll be blogging the sights and sounds at Fenway, where the Red Sox make their final playoff push.
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