Red Sox / Yankees 5-game series

Hi everyone, and welcome to my blog. I hope to provide some insight. We'll see if I actually do.

This are looking good for the Red Sox as the Yankees bullpen has been drained the last few days against lowly Baltimore:

Tues: Villone (9 pitches) Proctor (18) Rivera (24)
Wed: Villone (7) Dotel (13) Proctor (10) Farnsworth (17)
Thurs: Villone (40) Dotel (17) Myers (21) Bruney (17)

So Villone won't be able to pitch in the doubleheader and it's unlikely that Dotel will either. Proctor will likely be limited.

While here are the reliever numbers for the Sox:
Tues: Timlin (31)
Wed: Hansen (13), Papelbon (6)
Thurs: Off

Unfortunately, the Yankees placed Corey Lidle on the bereavement list, allowing them to call up this Bruney guy. Now Bruney isn't good, but Lidle was able to make his start Wednesday (after his grandma died, might I add) and won't be needed again until Monday. They aren't losing anything by placing him on the bereavement list, so this clearly violates the spirit of the rule. Weak.

Still, the key to the series is definitely the doubleheader today. If the Sox can knock Wang out of the game early (TAKE PITCHES PLEASE THIS GUY DOESN'T STRIKE ANYONE OUT) and then knock Ponson out of the game early (shouldn't be too hard as he's awful) the Yankees pen will be devastated, and even if the Sox don't win both games tomorrow that would give them a HUGE advantage the rest of the series. If The Red Sox swing early in the count vs. Wang and ground out a lot, which Wang is good at getting teams to do, he will save the bullpen and that will royally suck for Francona & co.

I would be relatively happy if the Sox just stand up there and foul off pitches for the first three innings against Wang, even if everyone strikes out. If I'm Francona, I tell the team that anyone who swings at the first pitch and grounds out against Wang will be benched for the second game of the doubleheader. Or at least be in my doghouse.

Even if the Yankees get a big lead today off Johnson (certainly possible) it would be a mistake to change our approach and become impatient, and it would be a very big mistake to take out any of our regulars. Even if we are down 10-0 the Sox should try to get into their bullpen, because as I said, if Wang goes 7+ innings they will lose the main advantage they have in this series, which is a fresh bullpen.