While everyone wonders what the Yankees will do with Wang and the Tigers with Willis, I’m far more interested in seeing what the Red Sox are going to do with their problem starter, Daisuke Matsuzaka. In case you missed it, Dice-K had yet another rough go of it on Saturday, giving up four runs on seven hits in four innings following a rain delay. Dice-K refused to go all Milli Vanilli with it (“I can’t blame the rain or the delay for anything. I don’t want to blame it on the rain”), but you have to figure that was at least something of a factor. Still, he has given up ten runs in 14.2 innings in June, appears to be laboring. Well, he always appears to be laboring; just more so recently.
John Smoltz is scheduled to start on Thursday, though no one knows if it will be for Pawtucket or Boston. Here’s a suggestion: give the old guy an extra day’s rest and let him take Matsusaka’s turn on Friday. This accomplishes a couple of things. First, it gives Dice-K a little break. Second, it will ensure that the old and recently-injured Smoltz is good and fresh for his return to the Majors.
Oh, and given who the Sox play on Friday, it would make for a wonderful little storyline as well.