Replacing Bedard for tonight's game is the lefty Jarrod Washburn. He throws a four-seam fastball that can get into the mid-nineties. He also throws a good slider, a curveball, and a good change up. He pitches to contact and he walks too many batters. Righties have a much easier time against him.
Tomorrow's pitcher will be R.A. Dickey. In addition to his knuckleball, he throws a low-nineties fastball and a curveball. They've been using him as a reliever/spot-starter and the last time he threw was Saturday against Cleveland-he gave up one hit and two walks in two innings of work. Earlier this season against the Sox, he gave up two hits and one run in two and two-thirds innings. Right-handed batters have an easier time against him than left-handed batters.
The last pitcher of the series is Felix Hernandez. Hernandez throws a high-nineties fastball, an excellent curveball, and a good change up. His command isn't yet all that it should be so he will walk batters but he gets plenty of ground ball outs and strike outs. He pitched against Boston on May 26 and gave up five runs on seven hits in seven and two-thirds of an inning. He also walked five and struck out five. In his next start against Boston (on June 6), he gave up six hits in six innings but didn't allow any runs to score. That time, he walked three and struck out five. Lefties have a little more success against him.
They have just gotten their closer, Putz, back from the DL. Adrian Beltre, Raul Ibanez, and Ichiro Suzuki continue to be their best hitters. Ichiro is always a threat to steal a base, he currently has one less than Ellsbury. He continues to play excellent centerfield (he made a spectacular catch off Varitek earlier in the season.) Defensively, they get most of their errors at short and third.
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