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Matsuzaka Hasn't Lost On The Road

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By TONY FABRIZIO

The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 10, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - The Rays have their homefield advantage going for them in Game 1 of the ALCS tonight, and the Red Sox counter with a pitcher who hasn't lost on the road this year.

Righty Daisuke Matsuzaka - "Dice-K" - went 9-0 with a 2.37 ERA away from Fenway Park during the regular season. Since 1954, only Greg Maddux (13-0 in 1995) and Jimmy Key (10-0 in 1994) posted more road wins without a loss in a season.

"He's 18-3, so he's had success home and on the road," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said.

Matsuzaka does have a career record of 1-2 (3.41 ERA) at the Trop, and he wasn't great in his last road outing, giving up three runs in five innings at Los Angeles in the division series. Boston won the game on a ninth-inning homer by J.D. Drew.

Replacing Lowell

The Red Sox are without their valuable third baseman, Mike Lowell, who suffered a torn labrum in his right hip and was dropped from the active roster during the division series.

Kevin Youkilis, who spent most of the year at first base, will start at third tonight. Mark Kotsay, a late-season acquisition from Atlanta, and Sean Casey will play first.

"We'll probably mix and match a little bit," Francona said. "Youk is probably going to play the majority at third. But things change when you don't know they're going to change."

Roster Tweaks

Like the Rays, the Red Sox will go with 11 pitchers in the ALCS after operating with 10 in the division series.

Francona said that barring any late development, the Sox will add RHP and Tarpon Springs resident Mike Timlin and leave off IF Gil Velazquez.

Timlin pitched in the dead-ball era - not really, but at 42 he is the all-time major-league leader in games for a right-handed reliever - and he had a career-high 5.66 ERA this season.

Rays fans might remember that Carlos Pena tagged him with the home run that beat the Red Sox 4-2 in 14 innings at Fenway on Sept. 10.

Quotable

DH David Ortiz dismissed the notion that there's bad blood between the Red Sox and Rays.

"Bad blood? There ain't no bad blood," he told a throng of reporters. "This is not the WWF, man. This is a baseball game, bro. I mean, come on.

"Sometimes you have things happen in the game, and it stays on the field, you know what I'm saying? It's not like you're going to walk in the parking lot and wait for somebody to whup."

Seminole Beater

Tallahassee native David Ross, Boston's third catcher, has a place in Florida State University history.

It's not a good one. Playing for Auburn in the semifinal round of the 1997 NCAA regionals, he hit a walk-off three-run homer that beat the Seminoles.

"There's still a grudge, I guess," he said. "I can't work out during the offseason at FSU. I have to work out at one of the high schools."

Ross transferred to Florida after the 1997 season. He is one of the few players to play in the College World Series with more than one school.

Tony Fabrizio

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