The A's and Jason Windsor who is 0-0 with a 1.80 ERA take on Curt Schilling with his 12-3 record and a 3.52 ERA.
I wonder if the A's will try to plunk someone with Schilling on the hill tonight. This is pretty much the only time I ever wish that pitchers had to bat in the AL. I know that isn't Macha's MO, but I would've loved to have seen Schilling take one off the ribs. Why is it the Red Sox always get pitchers that plunk hitters? Pedro was notorious and now Schilling prides himself on vigilante justice.
Any way, it's a tall order for the A's who were dominated last time out by Schilling. The A's send out this lineup to face the thug:
Kendall
Kotsay
Bradley
Thomas
Swisher
Payton
Chavez
Crosby
Ellis
Let's hope this group can do better than they did in Boston. Chavez remains at the bottom of the lineup. None of the A's have done particularly well against Schilling, although get this, Jason Kendall has THREE career home runs off of Schilling. Kendall leads the A's team in OPS against Schilling with a .710 figure. I'm calling a shot for big Jason tonight. Well, maybe not.
The Red Sox counter against young Windsor with this lineup:
Youkilis
Loretta
Ortiz
Ramirez
Nixon
Varitek
Lowell
Crisp
Gonzalez
Hopefully Kendall knows how to call a game with Windsor a little better this game. That changeup has to be in full play early. The good news is that the Angels are down 6-2 going to the ninth against the Devil Rays and the Yankees are winning by that same score in the fifth in Arlington against the Rangers. So even if we get the expected result from the A's game tonight, the A's will hopefully still be in first as long as the Rays hold on.
LET'S GO A'S!!!!
