It’s a Manny Ramirez meet-n-greet this weekend at Fenway Park.
The answer: Stephen Strasburg making his third big league start and the Yankees playing the Mets in the Bronx. The question: Name two big MLB events on Friday that will play second fiddle to Manny Ramirez returning to Boston's Fenway Park.
The Dodgers travel to Beantown this weekend for a three-game interleague set with the Red Sox. Just how Boston's rabid faithful receives their former hero remains to be seen. But one can rest assured that Ramirez' response to whatever treatment he receives will just be another chapter in the Manny Being Manny saga.
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While Ramirez most certainly will encounter some taunting from Red Sox Nation, he apparently will not have to battle the Green Monster out in left field. Los Angeles manager Joe Torre has said he will use Ramirez in the DH slot of the batting order.
"That's my plan going in," Torre was quoted in a recent article at the team's MLB.com site. "I think it's probably the best thing just to keep him in the lineup for three games."
Los Angeles enters the weekend series off a 7-1 loss in Cincinnati on Thursday. The Dodgers were 115 underdogs to Bronson Arroyo and the Reds, with Arroyo tossing seven, one-run innings and contributing a three-run homer in the second that proved the game winner.
The loss dropped Torre's troops into a tie atop the NL West with the Padres with both squads 38-28. Los Angeles is up about 2.8 units at the betting window, and 36-29-1 to the 'over.'
A DL swap has altered the Dodgers' pitching plans for the weekend. Chad Billingsley (groin) is now on the disabled list with Vicente Padilla (1-3, 6.65) coming off. Padilla will start Saturday's game, his first appearance since an April 22 assignment in Cincinnati.
Carlos Monasterios (4-1, 2.98), who had been filling in for Padilla, will start in Billingsley's place Friday. Hiroki Kuroda (9-4, 3.10) is Sunday night's starter for Los Angeles, with ESPN providing the broadcast. The Friday and Sunday games will be previewed here at DonBest.com.
The first Red Sox pitcher Ramirez faces Friday won't be a familiar face from his days in Boston as rookie left-hander Felix Doubront makes his major league debut. Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield (3-7, 5.43) gets the ball from Terry Francona on Saturday with Clay Buchholz (9-4, 2.67) scheduled for Sunday's series finale.
Boston just finished sweeping three from the Diamondbacks to lift its record to 40-28. The Red Sox are up 3.3 units on the money line and 34-29-5 to the 'over.'
Deep in the Heart of Texas
It's usually around this time of year that those holding Rangers futures tickets realize they've wasted good money. I know, being among those who have held those losing tickets a few times.
This time of the season is also when the Astros begin one of their patented runs to get back into the race after a slow start. Again, I know this having been frustrated by the team as a fan since its inception in 1962.
This season, however, things look much different for the two Lone Star State squads.
Texas completed its road sweep of the Marlins with a 6-4 win in Miami on Thursday. The Rangers begin play Friday with a 38-28 record (plus 7.3 units) and about level with the scoreboard totals at 32-31-3 'under.' A lot of baseball still remains for the Rangers, but it does appear they have a team that will stay in contention for the AL West.
Houston might have trouble contending in the Sally League this season, much less the NL Central. The Astros are 26-41, down 7.1 units and fifth in the six-team division. Houston has been a solid 'under' play to date with a 37-27-3 record that direction.
Wandy Rodriguez (4-9, 5.60), Brian Moehler (2-2, 6.32) and Felipe Paulino (4-9, 4.50) are manager Brad Mills' starting pitchers this weekend at home. Texas' Ron Washington counters with Scott Feldman (6-7, 5.28), Colby Lewis (7-6, 3.30) and C.J. Wilson (9-4, 3.48).
Texas took five of the six meetings between the two clubs in 2009, including a clean sweep of the three-game set in Houston. The Rangers outscored the Astros 31-18 along the way.
The two clubs will meet again the following weekend (June 25-27) in Arlington.
NOTE: W-L records displayed for starting pitchers are their team records in games the pitchers start.