Afternoon Delight: O's-Sox Gamer XVIII

The Red Sox will be sorry to see the Orioles go. They come in to the final game against Baltimore leading the season series 11-6. They've won every series of the season since being swept in a two-gamer in May, but they haven't swept the O's in 2008 ... yet.

Today was shaping up to be more of the same -- particularly with Jeremy Guthrie, the Orioles' only good pitcher, scheduled to start. But Guthrie's arm went dead (to use the old-time expression), and that leaves Lance Cormier to pick up the slack. Cormier has the best ERA of any of the three starters the Sox have faced this series, but that's probably because he hasn't started a game since last September.

Opposing him is Daisuke Matsuzaka, seeking a 20-win season and apparently needing No. 17 to do it. Dice was superimpressive his last time out; we'll see how he follows it up in the bright light of day at Fenway this afternoon. Hoping to support him in his quest will be sudden MVP candidate Dustin Pedroia and the rest of the bats, who somehow seem to hit better the more injured they become.

Skip work (I wish I could) and comment away!

Baltimore
B. Roberts 2b	.296
J. Payton cf	.255
N. Markakis rf	.308
A. Huff 3b	.312
O. Salazar 1b	.217
L. Scott dh	.270
L. Montanez lf	.352
A. Cintron ss	.275
G. Quiroz c	.185
L. Cormier	4.61
Boston
J. Ellsbury rf	.267
J. Lowrie 3b	.283
D. Ortiz dh	.274
D. Pedroia 2b	.330
M. Kotsay 1b	.350
J. Bay lf	.313
J. Varitek c	.228
A. Cora ss	.281
C. Crisp cf	.268
D. Matsuzaka	2.82