Next Up: the Detroit Tigers.

The last time the Red Sox faced the Detroit Tigers, the Tigers got their first win of the season (they also got two more losses.) Daisuke and Wakefield pitched well, Lester did not. Poor defense on the Tigers part, coupled with the fact that they were not hitting at that point aided in the Red Sox wins. Though since then, their offense has clicked.

This time around they face Bonderman (on Monday), Robertson (on Tuesday), Galarraga (on Wednesday), and most likely Verlander (on Thursday.) Lester lost the game to Bonderman back in April but Bonderman didn't exactly sparkle in that performance. He issued a bases loaded walk to Ellsbury in the second inning. Nate Robertson didn't fair too well at Fenway back in April, either. During the course of that game the Red Sox had four doubles, nine singles, and walked nine times. It probably isn't fair to expect that poor of a performance again, however.

Armando Galarraga is a rookie pitcher who has made four major league starts (in which he has posted a two and one record with a 1.88 ERA.) He had a good strikeout rate throughout his minor league career but walks have always been a problem for him. He throws a low-nineties fastball with a good sinking action, a pretty good slider, and a change-up.

Justin Verlander has not gotten off to a good start this year. In the seven games he's started, he's gone one and five with a 6.28 ERA. Even though he's given up forty-two hits and thirty-five runs so far, he can still get his fastball to top out at ninety-nine miles per hour. He's also got the excellent curve ball and the very good change-up. So far this season he's never gone past seven innings and only once has he not given up a home run (in that game, however, he'd already given up six earned runs when they pulled him.) His walk rate is low, though. And his strike out rate is only slightly better.

As for offense, Carlos Guillen, Edgar Renteria, Ramon Santiago, Curtis Granderson, and Magglio Ordonez *tilde and all other accent marks implied*, have gotten their acts together. Their defense continues to struggle, though. Eleven of the runs that their starters have allowed have been unearned. Their infield has made fifteen errors (a third of those going to Miguel Cabrera) and their outfield has made four.