The Red Sox will once again have the services of Kevin Youkilis Sunday afternoon, as the third baseman makes his return to the Boston lineup after missing two days with a bad back.
While Dustin Pedroia has filled in admirably for Youkilis in his time off, the Sox will be happy to see a more standard group out there, with Pedroia able to return to his typical role batting second with Youkilis coming up behind Gonzalez. With lefty Charlie Furbush on the mound for Seattle, the Sox will also be calling on Jed Lowrie and Darnell McDonald to handle duties at short and in right respectively.
Boston Red Sox (73-45)
- Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
- Dustin Pedroia, 2B
- Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
- Kevin Youkilis, 3B
- David Ortiz, DH
- Jed Lowrie, SS
- Carl Crawford, LF
- Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
- Darnell McDonald, RF
The Mariners will make a few adjustments in the bottom of the order despite doing pretty well with the group they've put out the last couple of games.
Seattle Mariners (51-67)
- Ichiro Suzuki, RF
- Franklin Guttierez, CF
- Dustin Ackley, 2B
- Mike Carp, 1B
- Wily Mo Pena, DH
- Miguel Olivo, C
- Casper Wells, LF
- Jack Wilson, SS
- Kyle Seager, 3B
Pitching Matchup: Tim Wakefield (6-4, 4.92 ERA) vs. Charlie Furbush (1-1, 7.20 ERA)
Today's pitching matchup seems like a perfect chance for Tim Wakefield to finally pick up win number 200, which is why it also seems entirely unlikely to happen.
For three straight starts now, Tim Wakefield has taken the mound in search of that milestone, and been denied one way or another, be it by his defense, his manager, or the lineup. Ironically enough, his last W came in a game where he allowed more runs than he pitched innings. It's getting to be a thing, really. Wakefield will pitch well, as might be expected against the Mariners, and for his troubles he'll receive no backup. He might be better off just waiting to face the Rangers or Yankees at this pace.
And then you've got Charlie Furbush. A young lefty, fresh from the minors, who sits in the low 90s and relies on movement to fool opposing offenses. If ever there was a type of pitcher that, for no apparent reason, completely baffled the Red Sox, the soft-tossing lefty is it.
Of course, if you toss superstition aside, this is a matchup the Sox should dominate. Their lineup is better than Seattle's, and Furbush just got beaten up by another top offense in Texas. But somehow that nagging feeling remains...