Tonight's pitcher is John Lackey. Lackey throws a good fastball, a slider, a change-up, and a really good curve ball. He's good but righties have a better shot against him. Lackey missed the beginning of the season due to an elbow injury but was gangbusters when he came back in mid-May. He did get knocked around in his last two starts before the break, though. He was routinely giving the Angels seven or eight innings a start before the hiccup. He's generally right around the strike zone so he does give up hits (quite a few on cheap swings) and he doesn't walk many batters.
Tomorrow's pitcher is scheduled to be the lefty Joe Saunders. He last threw an inning in the All-Star game, giving up one hit. He throws a decent fastball and a change-up. He likes to challenge batters but you don't have to be a mind-reader to figure out what he intends to throw. He got a win on April 24 against the Sox when he gave up three runs on seven hits in six innings of work. He's got good control and doesn't give up many walks. Righties have a little more success against him than lefties. The vast majority of the walks he's given up have been to righties.
The last pitcher of the series is Jered Weaver. Weaver throws both a low-nineties four-seam fastball and a lively high-eighties two-seam fastball. He also has a great slider and a change-up. He has excellent command. In his April start against the Sox (April 22), he lasted only five innings, giving up five runs on ten hits (including two home runs-one each by Ellsbury and Youkilis.) Righties have a better batting average against him but he's given up more home runs to lefties.
Their biggest bats continue to be Howie Kendrick, Vladimir Guerrero, and Torii Hunter. Chone Figgins is the most likely guy in the lineup to steal a base. It should be an interesting set of games-excellent pitching and a strong lineup on (hopefully) both sides.
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